A Bit Like That
by Zac Helmsley
Summary: Ryan is a new Superstar in the WWE. On screen, he is Zac Helmsley, Triple H's kid brother. What happens when he falls for his brother's archenemy, Sheamus, off screen? Could a relationship between the two of them really stand a chance?
1. Chapter 1: Falling, Falling, Fallen

_Notes: OK, so this is my first real fic; so please go easy on me. If you review, I will reciprocate. Oh, and yeah, I know I'm not the best at writing accents, but if you've heard Stephen/Sheamus talk, you'll be able to deal._

"**A Bit Like That"**

Ryan O'Hailin was still pretty new to the whole WWE scene. In fact, he had only been with the company about a month. At 20, he was one of the youngest Superstars on the roster. He was different than most of the other Superstars; that was for sure. For starters, he wasn't built like the others. He was 5' 11" and weighed a mere 150 pounds with a narrow waste and long legs. On top of that, he wasn't even a wrestler; he was an actor. He had been brought into the company to play a character in a new storyline. He was portraying the role of Zac Helmsely, Triple H's little brother.

His original role was just to be a non-wrestling character that would only appear onscreen for a limited time. However, the character became more popular than expected, so his role was extended indefinitely. The company decided that they wanted him to be prepared to eventually do in-ring activity in some capacity for the future. Therefore, he started in-ring training with Paul. It was through this training (and his onscreen work) that he also met Stephen Farrelly. The two made fast friends and eventually became travelling companions and roommates while on the road.

Ryan viewed Paul and Stephen as more than friends and mentors. He looked up to them like big brothers. However, in recent weeks, he began to feel a change toward one of them. The more time he spent with the Irishman, the more he felt this change. It was an odd feeling, one like he had never felt before, at least not so strongly. Stephen could always make him feel better; he always brought a smile to the younger one's face. Ryan was falling and he was doing so very quickly.

* * *

"Wake ya arse up!"

Ryan was awoken by a sudden jolt and a booming voice. He struggled to open his eyes in the early morning sun that brightly shone through the window. Through the light, he could just make out Stephen's frame. He squinted a bit.

"Com'on, lad, open ya eyes. The sun ain't all that bright."

"No, but you are!" retorted the younger one with a smile.

"I'd punch ya righ in the face for tha if I din't like ya so much!"

Ryan laughed as he finally sat up and stretched. He looked at the clock: 11:00. He knew why the Irishman was so gung-ho about getting him up; it was about lunchtime and Stephen hated eating alone.

"So, how d'ya feel abou goin' ta get sometin to eat?"

Ryan yawned and rubbed his face.

"It sounds just great. If you can wait till I get dressed, we can go find someplace."

"I'll try, but I migh eat a pilla if you take too long!" said the redhead with a laugh.

Ryan giggled a little and said, "Alrighty then; I'll try to make it fast…"

"NOT FAST ENOUGH!" Stephen joked as he picked up a pillow and began to playfully gnaw on the corner with a little growl.

Ryan continued to giggle until he was in the bathroom, grabbing his bag on the way; he shut the door behind himself and sighed. Stephen was too damn adorable for his own good. He leaned against the sink and let out another deep sigh before looking up at his reflection with a dismissive smirk.

The boy washed his face, tamed his wild hair, and quickly shaved before changing his clothes. When he returned, Stephen was sprawled out on his own bed.

"What happened to you, sir?"

"Died…of…hunger…"

"Ha ha ha," Ryan forced out sarcastically, "OK, get up."

There was no response.

"Stephen…Stephen…STE-PHEN."

"Shu-up, fella; I'M DEAD!"

Ryan shrugged and moved closer to the bed. As he bent down to grab Stephen, he found himself on the receiving end of the grab. The bigger man grabbed him and forced him down on the bed, pinning him with his arms over his head. The two laughed as Ryan struggled to get back up; his face turned bright red as a mixed result of laughing and exerting all his strength against a seemingly unmovable force. His efforts were futile.

"You can't win! Now make like Batista and give up!" Stephen demanded.

Feeling Stephen's body on his own did a bit too much for Ryan. He began to feel a stirring in his pants. He had to do something fast before the other man noticed.

"Look a bottle of Guinness!"

"WHERE?" The Irishman shouted exaggeratedly as he jumped to his feet.

"Works every time," Ryan chuckled as he sat up.

Stephen extended his hand with a smile. Ryan took it. With a sudden jolt the bigger man pulled the smaller one up off the bed. Ryan almost lost his footing; he steadied himself against Stephen's firm pecs. The two's eyes met.

"Easy there," Stephen smiled.

He was too cute for Ryan to deal with; he turned away with a blush.

"So, how 'bout that food," Ryan inquired as he made for the door.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Stephen and Ryan were sitting in a local dinner. Ryan was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt; he wore his auburn hair in a ponytail. Stephen was dressed similarly but with the addition of a hoodie, baseball cap, and sunglasses. After a while, Ryan looked up from his sandwich and let out a small laugh.

"Wha?" asked Stephen with a mouth full of hamburger.

"Seriously? You have to ask _me_ that? The real question is why the hell are you dressed like that? Afraid to be seen in public with me?"

"No, I jus don wanna be recognized. I'm tired of signin autographs and shit." Stephen replied while shoveling a few French fries into his mouth.

"Oh, I see. Because people will never recognize you by the pasty white skin and crazy red facial hair."

"Me facial hair ain't that crazy!" retaliated the Celt.

"Well, I guess, on anybody else, it would be. But on you, it's pretty…handsome." Ryan could have kicked himself for saying that.

"Oh, ya think I'm handsome do ya?" Stephen chuckled. At this point, he took the sunglasses off and cracked a little smile.

"Oh, shut up!" Ryan was starting to blush a little. He loved those blue eyes and was glad to see them uncovered, but he just couldn't stand Stephen's glance. He looked back down at his plate.

"I always knew ya were a bit like that!" he joked.

"Yeah, you wish!" Shit, Stephen was right.

By this time the two were finished eating. Well, the bigger one was; Ryan had lost his appetite. His stomach felt as if it was filled with helium. He hated this feeling; and Stephen was the only one who made him feel like this. He wasn't sure if he should love him or hate him for it.

Ryan snapped out of his thoughts and began to reach for the check.

Stephen withdrew his wallet, "I've got this."

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked, for some reason he was a little uncomfortable with his friend paying for his meal.

"Only because ya said I was handsome." He plunked down some cash, "Now, les get outta here before somebody spots Triple H's rival hangin out with his baby brother." Stephen then replaced the sunglasses on his face and ducked out of the booth as if on a secret mission. Ryan just laughed and followed.

* * *

In the car, Stephen had removed the sunglasses and baseball cap. Ryan sat in the passenger seat; he didn't look at Stephen…he couldn't, or he wouldn't. He just stared out the window as they drove toward the arena.

After a couple of minutes, Stephen glanced over at his passenger.

"Ryan…"

That voice did something to him, it always did, especially when it spoke his name.

"Yeah?" Ryan responded without looking back.

"Ya'v been pretty quiet. Ya OK, fella?" he sounded genuinely concerned.

"Yeah…I'm…uh, I'm just feeling a little car sick or something"

That was a flat out lie. He never got carsick. He was trying to fight off feelings he had been trying to suppress for a while now. Ryan was falling for Stephen; he was falling hard and he was falling fast. For a long time he had tried telling himself that it was just a strong brotherly admiration but it wasn't working. There was no denying it anymore: Stephen made him feel wonderful, but oddly enough, he also made him feel a bit sick and self conscious at times.

"Could someone like him actually ever want me?" Ryan wondered to himself. He wanted to say yes, but his mind was filled with negatives. Stephen was 12 years his senior and straight, or least Ryan was pretty sure he was. Ryan absolutely hated being uncertain about anything but he was especially agitated when he couldn't figure out where he stood with other people. Maybe Stephen just saw him as a little brother, maybe he saw him as more, or just a friend. Ryan was confused and it was getting to him. He liked to think he could read people, but when it came to romantic interests, he never could, at least not with confidence.

He was snapped back to reality when he heard that Irish brogue again. "Well, if yer feelin' ill, shouldn't cha be lookin' away from the road?"

He was right. Ryan turned to face the driver. The sun glistened in his red hair. Just as he feared, he was drawn in by the Irishman's strong, masculine features. Ryan was a sucker for manly men. His broad, muscular build bulging through his clothes; his big hands gripping the steering wheel; Ryan loved every bit about him. Stephen wasn't just handsome; he was beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2: Awkward

It was a couple of hours after that awkward car ride. Ryan's nerves had calmed down. He was focused on his job. He had adopted his persona of Zac Helmsley once again. His look had changed drastically since he arrived at the arena. His hair now fell to his shoulder, revealing layers and quite a bit of body. His colorful t-shirt was replaced with a dark one with his logo across it. He wore a pair of jeans that accentuated his legs. Lastly, his lime green sneakers were replaced by a pair of black combat boots. Zac evoked a much stronger sense of attitude than Ryan. His look was not unlike that of Triple H.

Luckily for Ryan, the man he was falling for had disappeared as well and Sheamus, his big brother's rival, entered the picture. This made the evening bearable.

The Helmsleys had just cut a promo. Tonight, Hunter had a match against Sheamus. The match was to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. In the promo, Zac warned Sheamus to watch his back because he would be in his brother's corner. He was known for helping Hunter win his matches by any means necessary.

On his way back to the locker room, he passed Stephanie McMahon. The two had become good friends as they worked closely to develop Ryan's character and storylines. They briefly greeted each other before Steph continued on her way; she was one busy woman.

Ryan arrived at the locker room to find Stephen dressed in his ring gear. He wanted to just be invisible for a little while so he could observe without being noticed. Stephen looked great. Ryan loved that strong muscular frame; his broad chest, strong pecs, and slightly ripped stomach leading down to green wrestling trunks. Green always was Ryan's favorite color but he was more concerned with what was contained under the green. Beyond the trunks were Stephen's large, muscular thighs, probably the whitest part of his body. Many would find a pasty white complexion scattered with freckles to be a turn off, but it was the exact opposite in Ryan's case. This ginger definitely got his Irish blood boiling.

Ryan finally took note of Stephen's face. He was grinning ear-to-ear…oh, that smile. It made Ryan weak in the knees. Stephen finally noticed Ryan in the doorway of the locker room. His smile got even bigger.

"Hey, Fella!"

"I've never seen someone so happy about getting their ass beat." Ryan remarked with a smirk. He knew well enough that Sheamus was slated to win the match tonight.

"I jus talked to Stephanie McMahon. She tol me that the creative team has decided that I will win my championship match at the next Pay-Per-View!" He was one happy Celt; a complete opposite of his onscreen persona.

"Congratulations, Stephen!" Ryan was genuinely happy for his friend. As much as he would have loved for Paul to be champion again, he was really glad that Stephen was getting another run with the title. If Stephen was happy, he was happy.

The two embraced in a congratulatory hug. Then it just happened. Ryan impulsively gave Stephen a kiss on the cheek. The boy froze instantly. You know how in movies, when something bad happens, you hear that record scratch or dissonant piano chord? Yeah, that is what Ryan heard in his head, followed by a resounding "SHIT!"

The two backed apart somewhat awkwardly. Stephen's normally white skin was now a bright shade of red. It was almost as intense as his hair. There was silence. Although relatively brief, it seemed like the length of a Peter Jackson film.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Ryan uttered sheepishly. He couldn't even look at Stephen. He felt twitchy and self-conscious; worse than he'd ever felt before. He thought he could have thrown up right there but he knew vomiting on Stephen wouldn't make the situation any more comfortable.

"Na, it's a'right. Well, um, we'd better get ready for the match. See, ya out there, 'Zac.'" Replied the Celt trying to shrug off the awkwardness.

"Yeah, you'd better watch your back, 'Sheamus!'" Ryan knew he had seriously fucked up. He exited quickly.

Ryan needed to clear his head. Before he knew it, he found himself out on the loading dock. He leaned against the railing on one edge. He clutched the bar tightly as he clenched his eyes shut; he felt the wind gently blowing his hair. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't believe he actually did something that stupid. He was for certain that he had just ruined his friendship with Stephen for good. He certainly wanted to be in a relationship with Stephen, but he would have rather been friends than nothing at all. "Is this going to affect work?" he wondered.

"Ryan…"

A deep voice resounded behind him. This time it wasn't Stephen's smooth accent, but Paul's coarse tone. Ryan turned to face him. He was dressed in his ring gear, ready to go.

"There you are, buddy. I've been looking for you. It's about time to head…Are you alright?"

Paul took a concerned step forward.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Ryan responded.

Ryan turned away again.

"Are you sure? You look really upset…"

"Paul, there is nothing wrong." Ryan asserted firmly as he turned his head sharply.

"You know, you're a great actor and all, but you can't fool me. You're full of shit." Paul said this with a tone that indicated that he was worried and concerned.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it. Don't worry; I'll be fine."

"That's fine; you don't have to talk about if you don't want…So, you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Ryan turned back toward the door. Paul chummily put his arm around Ryan's shoulder and the two headed toward the backside of the stage. Ryan was glad to have a good friend there for him.


	3. Chapter 3: As Long As You're Mine

Paul and Ryan were standing backstage. There were a hundred thoughts racing through the younger man's head. He tried his hardest to focus on the upcoming match. He knew that once he got ringside he'd be fine. He just kept telling himself that he was a professional and his emotions wouldn't affect his performance; it was true.

"_IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!_"

The music hit. Something snapped and Zac Helmsley took the place of Ryan. He followed his older bother, Hunter, out onto the stage. The crowd was going wild. The two struck their signature pose to even more of a pop. They continued down the ramp and into the ring. Triple H did his signature mist pose. The breeze of the air conditioning blew some of the water back into Zac's face. He just squinted a little; this wasn't the first time it had happened.

Suddenly, the music changed. Sheamus made his way out from the back. Triple H snarled at his opponent. Zac gripped the ropes and gave Sheamus a glare that could have set him on fire. Once the Celtic Warrior entered the ring, Zac worked his way back over toward his brother's corner. He patted Hunter on the shoulder before making his way through the ropes and down the steps. The bell rang.

The match was intense. The crowd was really behind it. It was now speeding toward the climax. Triple H had Sheamus set up for the Pedigree, when the Celtic Warrior was able to power out and flip the Cerebral Assassin. The tables had turned. Sheamus was wearing Triple H down with a "mud hole stomping." Unwilling to watch his brother get beaten down, Zac quickly ascended the turnbuckle. He prepared himself to deliver a Hurricanrana. Before he could even launch himself, Sheamus had spotted him. The Irishman grabbed a handful of auburn hair and flung the much smaller man to the ground outside the ring. Before he could get back up, the bell had rung. Sheamus was victorious. Zac slowly pulled himself back up, using the ring apron for support. Sheamus slid from the ring. He just cracked a cocky smile in the direction of the younger Helmsely brother who reciprocated with a hateful glare. Zac slid into the ring to attend to his brother. RAW ended with Sheamus standing victorious, laughing, at the top of the ramp.

Ryan and Paul came through the curtain that separated the staging area from backstage. Stephen was nowhere to be found; Ryan knew why.

"Great match, Paul. The audience loved it." Said Ryan.

"Thanks. You didn't do too bad yourself; you really sold that spill from the top rope," replied Paul.

Ryan murmured a response, "Yeah…falling really seems to be my thing these days…"

"What?"

"Uh, nothing," Ryan shrugged off quickly.

"Alright," Paul said dismissingly, "well, I'm gonna go hit the shower real fast then head back to the hotel. Steph and the kids are waiting."

"OK, goodnight, Paul."

"Night, baby bro…and if you need to talk about whatever was going on earlier, don't hesitate to call me."

The two hugged and parted ways. Ryan took his time heading back to the locker room. He ran into a few fellow superstars on the way and talked a little, but his mind was too scattered to really pay anyone much mind. When he finally got to the locker room, he found it empty. Stephen and his belongings were gone. Ryan wasn't all that surprised. The hotel was just a short walk, so he decided he'd just walk over there and face the consequences of his earlier actions, assuming that Stephen would even be in the room.

After changing and packing up his things, Ryan made his way through the arena and towards the loading dock. He was just out the door when he was startled by deep voice.

"Leavin' withaugh me, fella?"

Ryan turned to see Stephen leaning against the wall with his gym bag. The dim lighting shone just bright enough to see the water glistening in his red hair; he had clearly taken a shower. His normally spiked hair laid flat, parted in the center.

"I, uh, thought you had already left," Ryan replied timidly.

"Nah, I jus needed ta clear me head a bit and get some air. I figured you'd head out this way eventually."

Stephen stepped up to join Ryan on the walk to the hotel. It was silent at first. Ryan kept his eyes trained on the ground for the most part; looking up periodically to make sure he wasn't going to walk in to anything. He also attempted to enjoy the sight of the skyline. He loved cityscapes, but tonight they could not hold his interest.

The night wind was chilly. Ryan shivered a bit and folded his arms in an attempt to keep himself warm. This didn't go unnoticed by Stephen.

"Cold?" The larger man asked.

"Just a little chilly," Ryan replied.

Without a word, Stephen removed his hoodie and draped it around Ryan's shoulders. Ryan shivered even more at the touch of Stephen's large hands.

"Thanks…" Ryan said with only a quick glance at his companion.

"So, we're ya really gonna jus leave on yer own?"

"Yeah…I went back to the locker room, but when all your stuff was gone, I just assumed you left…I didn't think you'd really want to see me."

"Why would ya think that?"

"Well, after, you know, what happened between us earlier…what I did…what I shouldn't have…"

Stephen cut him off, "I told ya it was alright, din't I? Besides, I always knew ya were a bit like that." The large man let out a soft chuckle to emphasize his goodwill.

Ryan turned away, but Stephen took him gently by the arm and turned him so that the two were face to face. Their eyes locked: Sapphire meeting emerald. The moonlight only highlighted the jewel tones. Even Stephen was powerless to resist the magic of this moment.

"It's alright because I'm lil bit like that too."

With this, Stephen pulled Ryan in closer and kissed him gently. For a second, Ryan feared his legs would give out beneath him. He wanted to express how wonderful this made him feel, but he was speechless, all he could do was kiss the red head again. Their lip-lock became more intense and passionate. Ryan slid his hands over Stephen's cheeks. Stephen reciprocated by gripping Ryan's waist and pulling him closer than ever.

"Maybe we should get inside; I don't think this is the best spot fer two lads ta be makin' ought," suggested the Irishman.

"I think you're right; we do appear to be standing on the corner of Homophobia and Murder," Ryan agreed playfully.

The two laughed and returned to their commute. They now walked at a much quickened pace. They entered the hotel and made their way up the stairs to their room. Ryan was the first one through the door. He had barely found the light switch when he heard the door shut followed by the sound of Stephen's gym bag hitting the floor. He turned just to be caught in the embrace of the larger man. At this, he dropped his own bag.

The two kissed feverishly until they made their way over to the bed. Ryan fell backward onto the mattress. Stephen removed his shirt and then lowered himself over his newfound lover. He covered Ryan's neck with kisses. The recipient got instant goose bumps; Ryan loved the feeling of Stephen's facial hair brushing his neck as his wet lips sucked at his flesh. Stephen helped Ryan remove his shirt. He then returned to kissing, this time he worked his way from the smaller man's neck down to his navel. The red facial tickled soft skin; the goose bumps intensified. Stephen aggressively removed Ryan's pants, revealing a pair of green briefs.

"Green, how Irish of ya," Stephen chuckled.

Ryan sat up and grabbed Stephen by his belt, pulling him down onto the bed. Ryan then took control by straddling the Celtic Warrior. He kissed and licked all over the broad, white chest before working his way lower. He undid the Irishman's belt and pulled off his jeans and boxer-briefs all at once; he was getting a bit impatient. He had waited long enough. Stephen's cock was hard and ready to go. Ryan couldn't help but stare at it hungrily for a moment before taking it all in his mouth.

"Oh, fook," Stephen moaned as he tangled his fingers in Ryan's long, auburn hair.

Ryan worked his mouth and up down while sliding his tongue over the bottom half of Stephen's shaft. He took cues from Stephen as to where he should focus his attention. He noticed how his lover twitched each time his lips caught the head. He began to work it over with his tongue and lips. He could feel Stephen tremble.

"Mmmmm, that feels so good," Stephen moaned again as his clutch gripped tighter.

This continued for a few more minutes until Stephen couldn't take much more. He pulled Ryan away and exclaimed, "I won't last much longer if ya keep that up!"

Stephen got up off the bed and laid Ryan in his place. He kneeled down and kissed his partner's inner thigh and removed the green briefs before pushing both his legs open. Then he inserted one finger carefully into Ryan's opening. He worked it in and out a few times then inserted a second.

"Oooh," Ryan groaned as he gripped the sheets.

After a few minutes, he could tell that Ryan was ready for all of it. He stood up and placed both of Ryan's legs on either shoulder and eased his throbbing member into Ryan's tight hole. The sensation was overwhelming, months of desire finally being satisfied.

"Oh, Stephen," Ryan gripped the sheets even tighter as his lover began to pump in and out.

It was pure ecstasy. Ryan felt as if the room were spinning. Stephen's pace quickened, his hips rocked harder and harder, his erection going deeper and deeper, each time hitting that special spot that made his partner's head spin with pleasure. Ryan's legs had moved down and were now locked around Stephen's waist. The two kissed passionately as the lovemaking continued. Ryan clawed at the large white back of the man looming over him. Stephen alternated between kissing and biting. The intensity heightened with every passing moment. Suddenly, Ryan felt immense warmth as Stephen let out a long, deep groan. The feeling of his lover filling him sent him into a torrent of his own.

Stephen collapsed on top of his lover. They were both breathing heavily.

"Wow…that was amazing," Ryan finally uttered, kissing Stephen's slightly sweaty hair.

"I hope that wasn't too rough for ya," Stephen replied.

"Not at all, I like it like that."

The couple kissed once more.

The two lay in bed together. Ryan looked tiny wrapped in the arms of his Celtic Warrior. Stephen was just about to drift off to sleep when Ryan spoke softly.

"Babe…"

"Hmm?" Stephen vocalized without opening his eyes.

"Will you do me a favor?" the younger one asked.

"Anything," the sleepy one responded groggily.

"Hold me too tight."

With this, Stephen opened his blue eyes and looked questioningly into Ryan's.

"I need help believing that you're with me tonight…I mean, in my wildest dreaming, I could never foresee lying here beside you."

"That's funny, cuz I've dreamt of this moment over and over. And now that I have ya, I'm never gonna let you go. I will do anythin you ask, as long as you're mine," replied the Celt.

Ryan smiled as Stephen kissed him on the forehead. He snuggled his head onto Stephen's muscular shoulder and the two drifted off to sleep. There was nowhere in the world either one of them would rather be.


	4. Chapter 4: The Morning After

_Sorry I took so long to update this, folks! There are more chapters already finished and coming soon! Thanks for all the adds and favorites! _

_

* * *

_

Ryan was awoken by a pounding at the door. He jerked his head up suddenly from his facedown position. He heard soft snoring coming from the large man that lay beside him. There was another pounding at the door. Ryan rolled out of bed and walked toward the door; rubbing his eyes along the way. He answered the door to find Paul standing on the other side. Paul was giving him an odd look. That's when he realized that he was wearing only Stephen's overly large t-shirt.

"Easily explainable," he thought to himself.

Then he noticed Paul glaring over his shoulder. He followed the other man's line of sight to two beds: One still neatly made, the other one ravaged and containing a naked Stephen.

"Not so easily explained."

Paul snapped back to the task at hand.

"Uh, yeah; we have an autograph signing to be at in half an hour. So, you better hurry up and get ready."

"Yeah, sorry; give me just 10 minutes," Ryan knew he was going to have some explaining to do later; for now, he just wanted to end this extremely awkward situation.

"Alright; I'll meet you down at the car," Paul stated calmly just before walking away.

Ryan shut the door. He leaned against for a second and took a deep breath followed by a sigh. He took a quick glance at the clock and remembered himself.

"Shit!"

He made for the bathroom. He took one of the quickest showers of his life and shaved as fast as he could without cutting himself. He then changed into one of his Zac-esque outfits. He quickly brushed his still-wet hair before grabbing his boots and sitting on the edge of the bed. He fumbled with the laces. He was more nervous than he would be normally about being late. Well, truth be told, it wasn't being late that unnerved him. The bed stirred a little before he felt a strong arm wrap around him followed by the sensation of a pair of lips and coarse facial hair on the back of his neck.

"Good mornin'," Stephen said lowly.

"Morning handsome," Ryan replied as he placed his hand over Stephen's forearm.

"What are ya doin' up sa early? Come back ta bed."

"I can't. I'm already running late for my autograph signing with Paul."

"Alright," Stephen replied somewhat disappointed.

"I'm sorry, babe. After the signing, it will be just you and me. But right now, I have to go."

Ryan stood up and began to head to the door but he was pulled back by a strong white arm and met by a set of pink lips. The two rested head-to-head for a moment.

"Have fun," Stephen smiled.

Ryan smiled back. He then caught glimpse of the clock again. He bolted from the room and down to the car.

* * *

Ryan jumped in the car. He was winded after his dash through the hotel. He took a breath and then looked at Paul.

"Sorry," he said.

"Don't worry about it; we got time. It gave me time to get another cup of coffee," Paul responded picking up his travel mug and taking a big drink.

Paul put the car into gear and backed out of the parking spot. Ryan fiddled with the radio before deciding on a station. It was classic rock, one of the few station they could really agree on. After a few moments, Paul looked at Ryan intently.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"What?" Paul replied.

"WHAT?" Ryan was a bit unnerved by the stare.

"Stop whatting me!" Paul called back with a chuckle, "OK, so are you going to tell me what was going on up there or not?"

"Well…um, it depends on what you want to know."

"Look, I know it's really none of my business; I guess, I was just wondering if that has anything to do with what was going on last night."

"Yeah; yeah, it does," Ryan confessed.

"I see. I don't care or anything. Who you see is your own business and if you like guys, that's cool. I just want to warn you that it's hard enough to have a relationship with someone else in the company, just look at me and Steph, but it's probably gonna be even harder for you and Stephen. I really do see you like a little brother and I don't want to see you get hurt. Just be careful."

Ryan was shocked at what he heard. He always knew that Paul was a good friend; he was glad to know that Paul accepted him completely for who he was.

"Thanks, Paul. I will be careful."

"So are you two like boyf, er, in a relationship or just…you know…"

"Well, I'd like to think it's a relationship, or will be. Last night was the first time that anything happened. We didn't really talk anything out; it just happened."

"OK…Oh, and just so you know, if anyone says shit, I'll bash their heads in with my sledgehammer…and I'll do the same Stephen if he ever hurts you," Paul said with a facetious smile.

"You're the best big brother a homo could hope for!" Ryan laughed in return.

"I try. Well, we're here," Paul said as the car turned into the employee parking lot behind a large mall. "Let's put on our game face. Remember, we're the Helmsleys. We hate Sheamus! We're bad asses! We wear leather jackets in the summertime!"

"You forgot the fact that half of us soak more people during our entrance than Splash Mountain does in a week."

"Hey, shut it! That looks cool on TV! Now let's go!"

Paul jumped out of the car and charged the building with a battle cry. Ryan climbed out of the car and watched his friend acting like a complete idiot. All he could think is that he ended up associating himself with probably the two craziest men in the company; and he wouldn't have it any other way.


	5. Chapter 5: Meet, Greet, Defeat

Ryan and Paul entered the building right at the scheduled time. The mall personnel, on the other hand, were not so punctual. They had yet to set up the table and chairs for the signing. Paul took this opportunity to find a restroom and Ryan used this time to take out his cell phone and text his best friend and WWE Diva, Nicole. He did the best job he could at catching her up on the events of the previous night in the time allotted.

Her response simply read: "oooo, naughty… ;)"

Ryan laughed, knowing exactly how she'd say that if she had been there in person.

"We're ready for you two whenever you're ready," a mall security guard said entering the bare white hallway where Ryan stood.

Ryan sent a quick text telling Nicole he had to go just as Paul reemerged from the restroom.

"Ready?" The younger one asked.

"Sure. Let's get this rolling," Paul responded.

The guard escorted the two to the signing area that was set up in the large atrium of the mall. Behind the table and chairs stood a huge WWE backdrop featuring the images of some of the biggest RAW brand superstars. Ryan laughed to himself when he noticed the image of Sheamus biting his Celtic cross. It was a ridiculous photo but cute nonetheless. He then saw the image of himself and Hunter.

"Damn, we look great in that shot," he commented.

"Yeah, our advertising department is pretty good with an airbrush," Paul replied.

The two reached the table and acknowledged the line of fans stretching several yards down the corridor of the mall before taking their seats. The signing seemed to go on and on. What seemed like an hour would turn out to only be about 10-15 minutes. Fan after fan; photo after photo; autograph after autograph. Ryan had to periodically turn his face away and massage his cheeks a little.

"You wanna know a little trick?" Paul asked after noticing Ryan's apparent discomfort from too much smiling.

"What?" Ryan responded.

"You don't have to smile. You're Zac Freakin' Helmsley. You can just smirk or cop an attitude. You don't have to smile like that twit Kelly Kelly the whole time."

Ryan tried not to laugh at this, but Paul was right. Kelly Kelly does seem to do nothing but smile…like a twit…all the time…

Ryan kept Paul's advice in mind and adopted a more relaxed face for many photos. However, he couldn't help but smile widely when little kids went on and on about how cool they thought he was. He also found himself oddly excited when he came face-to-face with himself in action figure form. He knew this meant that he had made it.

After what seemed like another 587,000 autographs and photos, Ryan realized there were only about 15 minutes left in the meet-and-greet. He was signing the most recent issue of WWE Magazine, which featured him and Paul on the cover when he heard Paul say something to him:

"I didn't know that Ronald McDonald made deliveries."

Ryan looked up at Paul with a puzzled look. Paul gestured to the large, white, redheaded man holding a bag and cup from McDonalds standing a few yards from the table. Ryan tried to contain and small laugh and he playfully smacked Paul on the arm for the comment.

"OW! I'm telling Mom you hit me!" Paul said jokingly rubbing his arm.

"Hey, look, guys! It's Sheamus!" Ryan heard some kid shout to his friends.

The kids began looking back and forth between Hunter and Sheamus as if they expected a fight to break out.

"Showtime…" Ryan thought to himself.

Hunter stood up as Sheamus approached the table. They knew what had to be done to preserve their onscreen images.

"What do you want, Casper?" Hunter asked.

"Haha," Sheamus laughed sarcastically, "nice one. Yer originality astounds me, Triple Haych. I jus came ta see whatcha do in yer spare time. Instead of training like you should be, you're wasting your time with all these sad little Muppets!"

"Who are you calling a Muppet, Red?" Zac exclaimed getting up and into Sheamus's face. He could smell the Irishman's breath and found it oddly hot.

"All these losers who waste their time asking you for autographs!" retorted the Celtic Warrior.

"You know what? Maybe if you took the time to acknowledge the WWE Universe, you wouldn't get booed out of the arena each week." Hunter asserted.

"This ain't a popularity contest. The fact of the matter is that I beat you on RAW last night and I can do it anytime!" Sheamus stated with a confident smile.

"Well then, how about we put that to the test next Monday night?"

"You got it, Triple Haych. And how about this; since that little brat you call a brother like to get involved in our matches, why don't you bring him along and I'll get a tag partner of me own?"

"You leave him out of—"

"No! Hunter, I'm sick of this Gaelic punk mouthing off all the time. You want me in the ring, Sheamus? You got it!" Ryan asserted, cutting Hunter off.

"Alrigh, then; it's set, fella!"

"I guess it is, 'fella!' Now take your economically priced cheeseburgers and get out of here!" Hunter exclaimed shrugging off the Irishman.

Sheamus just smiled and backed up keeping eye contact before turning and leaving. Ryan turned his attention to the crowd that watched all this transpire.

"OK, folks, we're out of here. Thanks so much for coming out and seeing us. Tune in next week to see us kick Sheamus's sorry ass back to the Emerald Isle!"

The crowd cheered with enthusiasm. Ryan and Paul hit their signature pose for one last photo opportunity before heading back to where they entered earlier in the day.

"Um, Paul…did we just make a match for next week's RAW?" Ryan asked.

"Yep, we sure did," Paul responded.

"Can we do that?"

"Well, in all technicality no…but my wife can," Paul grinned.

"Haha, I guess that's true," Ryan agreed.

The two stepped out the backdoor into the midday sun. It was much hotter than when they arrived. In the sun, there was an orange glow; Ryan knew exactly what it was. He ran over to Stephen who was leaning against the hood of his rental car wearing a pair of sunglasses and still holding the McDonald's bag and cup.

"Hey, there, Fella," Stephen said before giving Ryan a quick kiss on the lips, "I brought ya a little somethin'."

Stephen handed the bag off to Ryan, who looked inside: Two double cheeseburgers, no pickle, exactly what he always orders.

"Did I get it right?" Stephen asked, although he sounded quite sure of himself.

"Yeah, actually, perfect."

"Well, I guess the 'Gaelic punk' is more observant than he seems," the redhead chuckled.

"I guess so."

"Oh, and, of course, your Dr. Pepper with no ice," Stephen said handing him the large cup.

"Thanks. I think I think I might keep you around," Ryan said smiling before kissing the other man.

"If you two start feeding each other fries, I'm outta here," Paul quipped kiddingly.

"Shut up and eat these," Stephen laughed handing a large fry over to Paul.

"Score! I'm so hungry _I_ could kiss you," Paul stated shoving a few fries in his mouth. He quickly looked up and added with his mouth full, "…but I won't…"

Ryan just laughed at the big blonde goof. He continued eating, leaning his back against Stephen's large torso. The larger man had his arms locked around the smaller one's waist. After a few minutes, a large black SUV pulled up next to them. Stephanie hopped out of the driver seat. It was actually kind of funny to see such a petite woman driving such a large vehicle. She embraced her husband who returned the affection with a kiss.

"Everything go OK?" she asked.

"Yep," Paul responded, kissing her again.

Finally, Stephanie noticed the two men cuddling against the other car. All she could do was look for a second before turning to Paul.

"Are they…"

"Uh, huh."

"Awwww. Congratulations, you two! Ryan, why didn't you say something about this sooner?"

"Because it kind of just happened…" He responded.

"Fair enough," Stephanie shrugged.

"OW! STOP IT!" a small voice came from inside the car.

Stephanie turned to look back at her two girls in the backseat of the SUV.

"Hey, stop hitting your sister!" Stephanie turned back to other adults, "I think it's about time we roll out before the kids get too restless back there."

"Alright then, have a safe trip home," Ryan said stepping up and hugging her.

Next, he moved on to hug Paul as Stephen hugged Steph.

"I will see you two at the shows this weekend," Paul said heading toward the driver's side of the SUV.

"See you then," Ryan replied.

Stephanie waved before climbing into the vehicle. Soon, they were out of sight.

Ryan turned back to face Stephen who pulled him in close.

"So, what time's your flight?" Ryan asked.

"5:00…" Stephen replied

"Mine's at 4:30. I guess we could head over to the airport together."

"Do you have to go back to Indiana?"

"Well, considering that's where I live and I'd like to have a place to sleep for the next couple of days, I'd say 'yes.'" Ryan replied someone sarcastically.

"Ha ha," Stephen laughed dryly, "I meant, how would you like to come back to Tampa with me for the next few days?"

Ryan thought for a moment.

"Well, I…"

Stephen cut him off, "I've already booked you a seat on my flight. So are you coming? Or did I waste my money?"

"OK, yes; I'll go."

"Good," Stephen smiled before kissing Ryan.


	6. Chapter 6: While Floating High Above

A few hours later, Ryan and Stephen found themselves sitting in the airport. Getting back to the gate was hell. It seemed like they got recognized every five steps. They were stopped for autographs, pictures, and mindless banter from their fans. They didn't mind getting stopped by kids so much. As for the adults, don't they realize that Superstars are people too? They have things to do and places to be. After a few minutes, Ryan and Stephen agreed that it would be best to split up and walk separately as the WWE has a very strict rule forbidding Superstars from doing anything that might ruin the illusion of the onscreen story. This kind of pissed the two of them off today. So much for a nice afternoon together.

Ryan sat on the opposite side of the seating area from Stephen. He hated it, but he made the best of the situation, taking out his computer and seeing if he could log onto the internet. Free for the first half hour, $3.99 per half hour after that. Really? Oh, well, it took his mind off of the fact that he was temporarily separated from the man he wanted to be with. God, he was like a freakin' puppy left alone when his owner goes to school.

Ryan felt a brief vibration in his pocket before hearing Sheamus's theme. He quickly silenced his phone as he withdrew it from his pocket.

New text message: "ducking into the bar. u alright?"

Ryan typed a quick response: "yeah im fine. thanks."

* * *

Stephen stood up and walked to the sports bar just a few yards away. He took a seat on a stool and ordered a Guinness. That's right, folks; they don't get much more Irish than him. He half-mindedly watched the baseball game on the TV behind the bar as he drank his beverage. After a while, he turned his attention back to the seating area. He saw Ryan sitting there typing away on his computer. He couldn't help but just stare at the young man for a minute.

"Am I dreaming? Is he really mine?" he wondered to himself.

Stephen had been taken by Ryan from their first meeting. Now, it wasn't romantic feelings right off the bat, but he felt drawn in somehow. But as he got to know Ryan more and more, he began to realize how much he liked the boy and his personality. Sexuality was something that Stephen had been fighting with for several years. He had always considered himself straight but on occasion he would have some not-so-straight thoughts. Ryan was the first guy he'd ever actually been interested in romantically; in fact, Ryan was the first person he'd been interested in at all for quite a while. Did he like guys or did he just like Ryan? Sexuality aside, he also couldn't help but feel somewhat like a cradle-robber. After all, he was 32 and Ryan had only been legal for two years. What could a 20-year-old possibly see in someone his age? Ryan could have any of the younger gay or bi superstars on the roster, ones that Stephen considered more attractive than himself. "Why me?" he wondered. All these questions faded away as he realized all that mattered to him right then and there was how much he wanted to be with Ryan. Just a few more hours and it would be just the two of them. He just had to get through.

"God, get a hold of yourself, Stephen," he thought to himself, "You're acting like some lovesick teenager."

He realized that Ryan was now looking up at him. All he could do was lift his beer bottle and give a little smile. Ryan smiled back and then returned to his computer. Stephen felt warm inside.

"What the hell, Stephen? Warm inside? Really?" he scolded himself.

He felt like a 15-year-old boy who just got asked to borrow a pencil by the pretty girl that sits in front of him in math class. Or…well…the pretty boy in this case.

"Act your age, Stephen. Be a man. Play it cool." He reminded himself.

The loudspeaker sounded, "Now boarding…"

Stephen snapped back to reality. He paid for his drink, gathered up his carry on, and headed over to board the plane.

* * *

Ryan took his seat on the plane. Because Stephen had bought the ticket later than his own, they were not sitting together. Stephen was a couple rows behind. Oh, well, just got to get through this flight. He made himself comfortable. Once the plane had gotten into the air and electronic devices were cleared for use, he took out his iPod and put in his earbuds. Flying always made him a bit sleepy. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep, his head filled with music.

"_I've longed to discover something as true as this is…_" was the last thing he heard before the blanket of sleep covered him.

* * *

The plane jarred slightly as it hit an air pocket. Ryan woke up. He looked around and realized he was still onboard the plane. He stretched a little. Voices on his iPod now sang something about a telephone. Waking up a bit more, Ryan realized he had to use the lavatory. He unfastened his seatbelt and stood up. It was at this point he realized he had an erection. Yeah, the joys of being male. He pulled his shirt down lower and walked down the aisle toward the restrooms, passing Stephen on the way.

After doing what he needed to do, he washed his hands and looked in the mirror. He got his hands wet and rubbed some water on his face. As he was drying his face with a paper towel, he heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah, just a sec," he called out.

He threw the paper towel away. As he was unlatching the door, there was another knock.

"Yeah, yeah, hold on…"

He was cut off; just as he began to open the door, a large man forced his way into the lavatory. Stephen shut the door behind him and latched it.

"Hey," Stephen uttered in a low tone.

"Hey," Ryan smiled back.

In the tightness of the restroom, Ryan could tell Stephen was having the same man problem that he had had just a few minutes earlier.

"Ya know, I've ahlways wanted ta try somethin'…and I've never been in the right circumstances with the right person…"

Ryan knew where this was going. He wrapped his hands around Stephen's neck and kissed him.

"Mr. Farrelly, welcome to the Mile High Club," Ryan stated in a formal voice.

Stephen moved in for another kiss. He softly bit Ryan's bottom lip this time; Ryan liked it. After a few moments of intense kissing, Stephen backed off.

"Guess what I remembered this time," Stephen said pulling a small bottle of lube from his pocket.

"Thank God," Ryan smiled.

Ryan was just barely able to turn and face the other direction. The restrooms were small enough for the average sized person, but throw a beast of a man like Stephen into the equation and it was not a situation for the claustrophobic. Ryan undid his jeans and slid them down with his briefs. Next, he pulled his t-shirt up to get it out of the way and used one arm to brace himself against the wall. Stephen rolled up his shirt and pulled it up and behind his neck, leaving his arms in the sleeves. He then undid his belt and jeans. First, he attempted to release his erection through the opening in the front of his boxer briefs.

"Fuck it," he said, just pulling his underwear down and out of the way.

Stephen grabbed the bottle of lube and opened it. He squeezed a bit into his hand and worked it up and down his shaft. Next he squeezed a bit more onto the tips of his index and middle finger and began to work it around Ryan's opening. Ryan jumped a little at the cool sensation. Without warning, he plunged in. Ryan winced in pain.

"Sorry! Do ya want me ta stop?" Stephen asked, starting to pull out.

"No, wait," Ryan responded, placing a hand on Stephen's hip

"Sorry, I'm new to this."

Ryan waited for a few moments as the pain faded into a pleasurable sensation.

"OK," he gave the word for Stephen to continue.

Stephen slowly began to work his way in and out. The standing position allowed him to go deeper. After a few thrusts, he found just the right spot.

"Oh, right there," Ryan was barely able to get the words out it felt so good.

He bit his bottom lip to keep from moaning. Stephen continued to pump faster and faster.

"Yeah," Stephen groaned. He threw his head back and closed his eyes. He smiled slightly. The feeling of Ryan's tight muscle around his erection was amazing.

Wanting more, Stephen gripped Ryan's waist and began to pump even harder and faster, using the hold for more leverage, forcing Ryan back and forth. Ryan could feel Stephen's scrotum slapping his ass. Stephen began panting heavily before he clenched his teeth. Through his clenched teeth, he emitted a soft growl-like sound. The room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and skin slapping skin. As the point of inevitability neared, Stephen lowered himself and buried his face into Ryan's shirt; biting at the fabric to prevent himself from moaning loudly. He ran his hands up until his arms locked around his partner's torso. Ryan could hear a deep growl coming from his lover. Fluid suddenly began to flow. Ryan bit his lip even harder to muffle the ecstatic sounds of his orgasm. Then he felt the contractions of Stephen's muscle buried deep inside him. He could feel the warmth flowing inside. After a few moments, it was over. Ryan trembled in the aftermath of the intensity as Stephen had a slight spasm. Stephen rested his head on Ryan's back. The smaller man placed his free hand over his lover's. The two just breathed heavily for a moment.

Finally, Stephen spoke, "Damn."

"That was hot," Ryan agreed.

The two cleaned themselves up and replaced their clothing.

"Thanks, babe," Stephen said kissing Ryan's hair, "I'm gonna head back ta my seat. Ya might want to wait a minute or two before ya do the same; it might look suspicious if we head back tagether."

"Agreed," Ryan said, planting a kiss on Stephen's neck.

Once Stephen had exited, Ryan returned to his task cleaning up the mess they made. After that was completed, he turned to the mirror and fixed his hair before stepping out the door. As he shut the door behind him, he noticed a flight attendant was giving him a look…a knowing look.

"What? Like you wouldn't?" Ryan remarked before turning and heading back to his seat.

The woman just nodded with a smile before returning to her work.

Ryan sat back down and fastened his seatbelt. He turned around a looked at Stephen who just gave a sly smile and winked. Ryan turned his face back to the front and smiled. This was the best flight he had ever had.


	7. Chapter 7: Back on Solid Ground

It was late when Stephen and Ryan landed in Tampa. The sun had long since gone down but the humidity still hung heavy in the air. They quickly gathered their luggage; actually, it would be more correct to say that Stephen gathered the bags. Ever the gentleman, he insisted upon carry Ryan's luggage for him. Luckily, the airport crowds were at a minimum at this hour. Therefore, they were able to make it to Stephen's vehicle uninterrupted. It was a rather large silver SUV, somewhat proportionate to the size of its owner. Stephen loaded the bags into the back of the vehicle. He then made his way to the passenger door to open it for Ryan. As he did, an empty water bottle and some other miscellaneous trash fell out onto the pavement.

"Sorry," Stephen said picking it up and throwing it back in the car, "I haven't had much time ta clean it out recenly."

He then spied some gym clothes in the seat. He quickly tossed them over the seat some landing on the backseat, some on the floorboards. He gave the seat a final brush before gesturing for Ryan to get in.

"Thanks," Ryan couldn't help but laugh at Stephen's ridiculous chivalrousness; he found it adorable.

The passenger climbed up into the seat; Stephen shut the door behind him. He ran around the front and finally climbed into his seat behind the wheel. The engine roared as he turned the key. An old AC/DC album already in progress began playing over the stereo.

Other than the radio, the ride was somewhat quiet, but not in a bad way. The two just enjoyed each other's company. Ryan watched bright lights flash by as they drove through Tampa. Stephen sang along quietly to the CD. He wasn't bad…well, he wasn't good either but he wasn't particularly trying to be. The vehicle jarred suddenly. Ryan sat up in alert.

"Jus makin' sure yer still awake over there," Stephen smiled.

Ryan smiled back. Stephen had to force himself to look back at the road. If he could, he would have just stared at his partner for the whole trip home but he knew that would be highly unadvisable.

"Do ya like Mexican food?" Stephen asked, keeping his eyes forward.

"Yeah." Ryan responded, turning to look at the driver.

"Good. Tomorra, I'll take ya to my favorite Mexican joint for lunch. The food is great there."

"Sounds like fun. Of course, every time's a fun time with you."

"Ya really think so? I think I'm kinda borin'." Stephen chuckled.

"Never, babe, never."

Stephen reached over and put his hand on Ryan's thigh. The affection was reciprocated as Ryan put his hand over Stephen's much larger one. Stephen began to half-mindedly serenade Ryan with the tunes of AC/DC. Ryan had to remind himself not to laugh at the over-the-top gesture.

Shortly, the car pulled into the parking lot of an apartment building. Ryan slid out of the car and surveyed his surroundings as Stephen got the bags from the back.

"This way," Stephen said leading his partner around the side of the building

They arrived at Stephen's front door. He put down one of the bags to fumble with his keys and unlock the door.

"It's not much, but it's home."

He swung the door open and flipped on a light switch. Ryan followed him in and looked around. It was definitely a bachelor pad. Black furniture with minimal décor. A big screen, flat panel TV surrounded by stereo, video, and gaming equipment took up almost entire wall. It was exactly what Ryan expected.

"Well, kitchen's right there, help yerself if ya need anythin'; bathroom's back there ta the left and the bedroom's ta the right."

"Alright. Well, I think I'm going to go brush my teeth and get ready for bed," stated Ryan.

"Yer ready fer bed already?"

"Well, maybe not immediately. We can have snuggletimes first," Ryan replied teasingly.

"That's more like it," Stephen winked.

Ryan grabbed his bag and headed back to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. He then took his bag and crossed the hall into Stephen's room.

Stephen sat on the couch in just his boxer briefs; he never was one for pajamas. His clothes lay in a pile under the coffee table. He turned on the TV; Sports Center was on. He watched for a few minutes until he heard Ryan enter the room, he looked up to see the other man sporting some of his clothing: a much-too-big FCW t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts that hung past the knees.

"Those look good on ya," Stephen smiled.

"Thanks," Ryan replied as he made his way to the couch.

He sat down beside his man who lifted his large arm to allow Ryan to huddle in close before lowering it back around him. Ryan rested his head on the large white shoulder; his hand rested on a muscular thigh. There was something sensual about the moment. Their breath almost synced. It had been a long day and Ryan felt very comfortable where he was; it wasn't long before he was asleep. Stephen allowed the smaller one to rest there for a while before deciding it was time to turn in, himself. He carefully raised his arm and leaned Ryan forward just enough to slide off the couch. Then, he carefully cradled Ryan in his arms and carried him back to the bedroom and laid him gently on the bed before covering him with the comforter. Tiptoeing, he made his way around to the other side of the bed and slipped in. He scooted closer to his sleeping lover and placed a protecting arm around him, nuzzling close to his face. Only a few minutes passed before he joined Ryan in the land of dreams.


	8. Chapter 8: Tampa

Stephen opened his eyes groggily; he stretched a little and looked down. Ryan still lay sleeping in the bed. Stephen leaned down and kissed the sleeping man. Ryan squirmed a little but didn't wake up. Stephen slid out of bed. He made his way out the door and across the hall to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and let it run warm as he relieved himself, a task that he found a bit difficult thanks to his "morning wood." He removed his boxer briefs and slipped into the shower, closing the frosted door behind him. The warm water was a relaxing way to wake up; he closed his eyes and leaned against the fiberglass wall. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that before he felt a pair of small hands run up his back. He smiled and, without opening his eyes, reached back and grabbed one of the hands, pulling it around to his face.

"Did ya sleep ahright?" he asked, kissing the hand.

"Yes," Ryan replied, returning the affection by cozying up to Stephen's back.

Stephen slid around to face Ryan and pulled the boy in close. Ryan rested against Stephen's muscular torso. In the heat of the water, his normally colorless skin had turned a rosy pink. Ryan slid his hands up and down the larger man's abs, slippery from the water. Stephen reached over and grabbed his body wash. He poured some on his hand and began to rub it onto Ryan's body, working it into a lather. His hands ran over Ryan's back down to his ass. He cupped it with both his hands before continuing to rub the soap over his lover's body. Ryan grabbed the bottle and began to do the same, working over the strong, broad chest, down the tight abs to his cock, which still stood erect. Ryan rubbed the throbbing member. He then turned and backed up against his partner, writhing rhythmically. Skin slipped over skin. Stephen hands found their way around Ryan's waist; then they slid their way up to his chest where the large fingers began to play with his nipples. Ryan and Stephen ground together more aggressively. It felt so good. Stephen could only utter a soft grunt before he blew his load over Ryan's backside.

"Usually, I like ta get cleaner when I take a shower," Stephen said in low, soft, joking tone.

"Face it, you would have just handled this task yourself anyway," Ryan joked back.

"True," Stephen agreed as he began to clean his seed from his lover's back.

Ryan loved the feeling of Stephen's large hands caressing his body. Everything about Stephen was masculine and that was a big turn on for Ryan. As weird as he thought it was, he found Stephen's manly hands to be especially attractive. He enjoyed the washing and almost felt let down when it ceased.

"Your turn," Stephen whispered into Ryan's ear. Ryan could feel the warm breath across the back of his neck and it sent shivers down his spine.

Stephen turned so that Ryan could wash his back. Ryan never considered himself an ass man, but he couldn't help but think that his man had a particularly nice one - firm, toned, and muscular. He ran his hands across the large, muscular back, working soap into a thick lather. He thought his hands looked tiny when held to Stephen's body. Of course, he was right; the fact of the matter was Ryan _was _tiny compared to Stephen.

Ryan began to rinse the soap as Stephen broke the silence.

"I was thinkin'…"

"That worries me," Ryan broke in with a smartass smile.

Stephen flashed smile in return, "I was thinkin' that it migh be a good idea if I take ya over ta the FC-dubyah trainin' fahcility and go over some moves with ya."

"That would be a really good idea, actually," Ryan agreed, "Paul's worked with me some, but I could definitely use some more work. If I'm gonna be in the ring with you, I better get used to being thrown around like a ragdoll."

"Yer not used to me throwin' ya aroun yet?" Stephen turned and playfully kissed Ryan.

"Wow, you perv. I mean I need to learn how to take it when you're slamming me…" Ryan trailed off as he realized how bad that sounded.

Stephen just gave him a look that seemed to say, "I'm not even gonna say it."

* * *

An hour's time found Ryan and Stephen seated at "La Mesa," a local hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant.

"Sooo, this place is called 'The Table,'" Ryan remarked in a smartass tone.

"Hey, it's good food. Besides, like a name like B-Dubs is any better?" Stephen retorted.

"OK, I guess you got me there."

Ryan began to salt the chips that sat in front of him.

"Would ya like some chips ta go wit that salt, fella?" Stephen teased.

"I'm good," Ryan replied; he hated being called, "fella." He found it a bit demeaning. But that's what Stephen called everyone. Maybe that's why he hated it so much. He wanted to be called something special.

"The 'Comida Especial' is really good; it's got a little bit of everything," Stephen said looking up from his menu.

Ryan surveyed the dish description and responded, "If I eat all that, I'm gonna be as flabby as Jericho come Monday."

"True enough," Stephen smiled.

After a few minutes of menu reading, the waitress stepped up to the table, pen and paper in hand.

"Are you two ready to order?" she asked politely.

"Uh, are you ready ba-buddy?" Stephen asked.

Wait; did he just change that pronoun mid-way through?

"Uh, yeah. I'll have the quesadilla relleno."

"And I'll have the comida especial with extra chilies."

"Alright. I will put that right in for you guys," the waitress began to walk off; however, she quickly turned and walked back. "I'm sorry, but you two are on the wrestling, right?"

Ryan was hesitant, "Yeah."

"I thought you looked familiar. My kids watch the shows all the time. I thought you two hated each other or something."

"Jus on TV, ma'am. In real life, we're good pals," Stephen said with a smile.

"Pals?" Ryan thought. He knew why Stephen was saying that, but that word stung for some reason.

"Of course," the waitress replied, "sorry to bother you."

She smiled and walked off.

The food came much sooner that expected. Ryan realized why Stephen liked this place. The food is quick, but tastes great. The couple rambled on about pointless topics like TV, music, and backstage gossip.

"Stephen Farrelly," an unknown female voice spoke up from behind Ryan.

Stephen looked up; his face lit up as he got out of his seat to hug a young, attractive blonde woman.

"Kathleen, how are you?"

"I'm good; how are you, Mr. Big-Time Wrestling Star?"

"Not too bad. Just came back home for a couple of days before going back out on the road."

"Of course, always the busy one."

"Oh, Kathy, this is my friend Ryan. Ryan this is Kathy."

"Nice to meet you," Ryan said somewhat timidly for his own demeanor. He did the polite thing and shook her hand although he really didn't want to.

"Likewise. Well, I'll let you two get back to your lunch. It was good to see you, Stephen."

The woman and Stephen embraced once more before she left.

"An old friend of yours?" Ryan tried to ask inconspicuously, but he knew it came off a little bitchy.

Ryan picked at his food with his fork; he had lost his appetite.

"My ex, actually. She's a nice girl but it jus din't work ought. We were too different and our careers got in the way."

"Oh." Ryan muttered.

There was silence.

"Well, this is nice and awkward…Can I ask you somethin'?" Stephen tried to ease the situation.

"Sure," Ryan answered, looking up.

"Why is someone like you single?" Stephen asked.

"Wait, AM I single?" Ryan thought to himself. He rearranged the question in his head to be more suitable before thinking out his answer.

"Well, I guess it's the age-old 'I haven't met the right one' deal. For starters, where I'm from, there aren't many gay men; and when there are, they are on the 'down-low' and want to have a girlfriend, but screw around with other guys. That's a big problem for me. My last boyfriend took me for an emotional ride. He wanted all the perks of a relationship without the responsibility. He wanted sex and attention, but not much else. He wanted the relationship to more-or-less remain a secret; he didn't even want to admit he was gay. I invested a lot of time and emotion into the relationship and got nothing in return. When we broke up, he tried to act like nothing ever happened, I've been kinda out of the dating loop since then"

Ryan suddenly got self-conscious. Did he say too much?

"I'm sorry that ya had to go through that. I jus hope you know that I would never take advantage of ya like dat."

Ryan smiled a little, "So, why are you single?"

"Easy, I'm a workaholic; my career has always come first. Doesn't leave much time to devote to anybody else."

Stephen glanced at his watch, almost awkwardly, "Speaking'of careers, ya ready to head over ta the gym?"

"Sure."

* * *

At the FCW training facility, Stephen gave Ryan a refresher course on the basics of wrestling. Ryan had only been taught the basics and not very well before going on the road. Paul had begun to teach him more, but no one had planned for Ryan to step into the ring so soon. After the basics were in good working order, they moved on to developing a good move set for him. Because of his size, he was going to have to rely on strikes and high-flying moves. He actually had a little background in gymnastics and stage combat. So they decided to put the two of those together and create a unique style for him involving various kicks and a lot of flips. Stephen was actually impressed at some of the moves Ryan was able to pull out so quickly: Hurricanranas, moonsaults, vaults; he was a natural luchador.

"Alright, now that I've learned how to deliver moves. Can you teach me how to take some? I mean, I know how to take a hit and stuff, but what about if you do that Celtic Cross powerbomb thingy."

Stephen chuckled, "Powerbomb thingy. Tha's not the most technical term fer it, but don't worry, I'm not gonna use it on ya."

"It's you're signature move; it might look suspicious if you don't at least try it."

"Let it look suspicious then, I'm not usin' it on ya."

"Stephen, I'll be fine. Just show me."

Stephen thought for a minute before giving in.

"OK, first of all ya have ta hold your back like this," Stephen used his hand to guide Ryan's body into the proper formation, "an keep yer head and neck forward. The las thing ya want is ta land on yer neck." Stephen looked Ryan in the eye, "Do ya trust me?"

"What?" Ryan was thrown off by the way Stephen asked the question; the intonation made the question seem very serious.

Stephen placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder, "Do you trust me?"

Ryan stared back into the blue eyes of his "opponent," "Yes, Stephen; I do."

Suddenly, Stephen scooped Ryan up into position. He held him in place for a few moments before falling forward and sending him to the mat. Ryan did as instructed; it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be.

"Ya OK?" Stephen asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ryan replied.

Stephen stood up and offered his hand to Ryan and helped him up.

"Thanks for everything. I think I'm in better shape for the match. I'll be honest, I'm really nervous about it. I mean, if I screw up, they may not give me another chance…"

Stephen placed his large hand on the side of Ryan's face, softly stroking his cheek.

"Yer gonna do jus fine. Don' worry, Ry."

"Ry." He liked the sound of that. He placed his hand over Stephen's. "Thanks, Phen," he laughed to himself, "I'm sorry, that probably sounds really stupid."

Stephen laughed, "No, it's alright. I like dat. Phen. It's a good nickname. Better than 'Steve;' I hate dat name. Now, let's go hit the showers and I will take ya fer a tour of Tampa, or at least the Stephen version of it."

He put his arm around the shorter one and the two began to walk toward the locker room.

"Alright, but showering is all we're doing this time!" Ryan added.

The two shared a laugh.

* * *

Stephen and Ryan finally had that afternoon together. The sites they visited and the things they didn't probably wouldn't be considered all that exciting by most, but they had a great time together. After catching a movie, they stopped at that beach on the way home at Ryan's insistence. They got out of the car. Ryan's iPod still sounded over the stereo.

"The sun has gone down, it's safe for you to be out here," Ryan teased.

"Ha-ha-ha," Stephen fake laughed, "Good cuz I left me SPF Bazillion at home!"

"Is that how you go out in the daylight, Edward?"

"Did ya jus call me a vampire?"

"No, I called you a fail!"

"That's it! Yer goin' down!"

Stephen sprinted toward Ryan, who promptly turned to run. He could only run so far before he lost his breath laughing uncontrollably as Stephen made comedic attempts to capture him. The larger man finally grabbed him and pulled him to the ground. The two could do nothing but lay in the sand laughing for a few minutes. After a few moments, they turned their attention to the sky where the stars shone brightly in the clearness of the night. Suddenly, a small meteor shower began. Ryan was instantly enthralled.

"Have you ever seen anything so amazing?" he asked.

"Yeah…right next ta me…"

Ryan turned to look at Stephen who was already looking at him. He rolled over and kissed him. The two continued to kiss until the song on the stereo caught Ryan's attention.

"I love this song!"

He sprung up with Stephen close behind. Ryan began to sing along as he led Stephen by his hand back to the car. The two danced as they walked. It was clear that the redhead had little dance experience, but that just made him all the more adorable. When they reached the vehicle, Stephen lifted Ryan up and sat him on the hood. Ryan continued to sing along. Stephen loved it when Ryan sang; it was one of the things he enjoyed about taking long road trips with him. After the song ended, Stephen reached in through the window and turned off the iPod. He then walked back around to the front of the vehicle.

"Sing somethin' for me," Stephen requested, placing both his hands on Ryan's waist.

"Like what?"

"Whatever ya want, I jus want ta hear your voice."

Ryan looked around. They were on a beach after all. He didn't care how cheesy it was, he decided on a song from "The Little Mermaid;" It just seemed right on several levels. As he sang, he ran his hand over Stephen's cheek and began to play with his hair.

"_What would I give to live where you are? What would I pay to stay here beside you? What would I do to see you smiling at me? Where would we walk? Where would we run if we could stay all day in the sun. Just you and me, and I could be part of your world…"_

At the completion of the song. Stephen applauded and cheered. Ryan blushed a little.

"Stop! That sucked!" Ryan exclaimed.

"No, it didn't!"

"Of course you're gonna say that; you want to get laid."

"I've already gotten laid, I don't have ta lie."

"Good point."

"Well, I think it's about time we head home. I've got a long day tomorra." Stephen offered his hand to Ryan.

"Alright," Ryan said taking Stephen's hand and hopping off the car.

* * *

"I think it's bedtime for me," Stephen declared with a yawn as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

He pulled off his shoes and slid until he was fully on the bed before lying back.

"Right behind you," Ryan said crawling into the bed and snuggling up against the Irishman. He rested his head on Stephen's chest; his head rose and fell with each breath.

As Ryan lay there, he felt that the time was right to say something that he had wanted to say for quite a while. After a few moments of contemplating, he let it out.

"Stephen…I love you."

There was no response. Ryan looked up to find Stephen with his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. He sighed softly. He softly kissed Stephen's pale cheek.

"Goodnight, Phen."

Ryan snuggled back to his original position and closed his eyes. Little did he know that Stephen was actually still awake. Hearing those words made Stephen feel wonderful. He had wanted to hear them for so long. He also wanted to say them, but he couldn't. He was seized with fear at the thought. The Great Celtic Warrior afraid to say three words? It was true. Every time he had said them in the past, he ended up having his heart smashed and he couldn't bear to have that happen again, not with Ryan.

* * *

Stephen jerked up in bed as the shrill, electronic sound of his alarm clock rang out. He rubbed his eyes and turned off the annoying device. He looked around as he realized that Ryan no longer rested on his torso.

"Where is he?" he wondered to himself.

As he became more awake and his senses began to sharpen, he heard a soft sizzling sound coming from the kitchen and caught a whiff of a familiar scent, a scent he loved – bacon. He rolled out of bed wearing the same clothes had worn the night before. He yawned and scratched his chest as he made his way to the kitchen. There he found a familiar figure at the stove. He slid up behind the cook and kissed his neck before leaning his head against the soft auburn hair.

"Mornin', babe," Stephen said in a low, coarse voice.

"You're just in time for breakfast."

"Mmm, have I ever told ya how greatcha'are?"

"Not enough" Ryan laughed.

Ryan slid some bacon on a plate and handed it to Stephen. He then grabbed a plate for himself. The two sat at the bar. Stephen scarfed down his eggs.

"Either you like my cooking or you're really hungry," Ryan teased.

"Both!" Stephen exclaimed as he took a bite out of his bacon with a ridiculous dog-like growl.

"Oh, that's hot." Ryan joked, but he actually did find something sexy about Stephen's teeth…and animalistic behavior – however ridiculous it may be.

After they finished eating, they moved into the living room where they watched some reruns of "Family Guy."

"I hope my baby is an evil genius," Ryan remarked.

"Than maybe ya should have a baby with Peter Griffin."

"Um, no."

"Why not?"

"If I wanted to sleep with a fatty, I'd seduce William Regal."

"Filthy Brit! Ya know, my baby will probably be an evil genius."

"Well, then I think we've found the solution to our problem."

"Are ya sayin' you want to have me babies?"

"I would love to have a little ginger baby. Except I'm not looking forward to that phone call from the principal telling me that our kid Brogue Kicked someone on the playground."

Stephen just laughed.

"I think it would take an evil genius to figure out how ya could have me babies anyway."

"Ever heard of M-Preg?"

"What the hell?"

"Nothing, it's fictitious," Ryan laughed.

Stephen glanced at the time on his phone and then buried his face in the throw pillow with a loud groan.

"I don' wanna ga ta the signin'!"

Ryan just patted the head of red hair.

"Sorry, you don't have a choice."

"Call me in sick?"

"Can't do that. Just cowboy up and go."

"Yer mean!" Stephen playfully pouted as he worked his way back to the bedroom to change.

"Hey, babe?" Stephen called from the bedroom after a few minutes

"Yeah?" Ryan called back.

"Have ya seen me brown hat layin' around anywhere?"

"Uh," Ryan glanced around before spotting the article of clothing in question, "yeah, it's on the coffee table."

"Thanks!"

Stephen emerged from the bedroom dressed in brown pants, matching vest, and striped button-up shirt.

"How da I look?" he asked adjusting his tie.

"Very handsome," Ryan replied placing the hat on the redhead. Ryan loved this outfit on Stephen; it made him look very handsome and extremely adorable at the same time.

"I wish ya could come with me, Ry."

"I know, but that might break the illusion just a bit. I mean, if Paul were here, we'd just come crash your autograph signing. So, do you have to stay through the show?"

"Yeah, they want me to do guest commentary. They think havin' the dubya-dubya- E champion ringside will be good pressure on the new talent."

"Alright, well have fun, and don't Brogue Kick any of the FCW people."

"I'll try not ta," he glanced at this watch, "Ah, I better get goin' or I'll be late."

"Bye, Phen."

They kissed quickly before Stephen headed out of the door. He was gone for just a second before he reentered.

"I think I might need me keys!"

Ryan grabbed them from the table and tossed them to Stephen.

"Thanks, Ry!"

Again, he went out the door. Ryan suddenly felt very lonely. However, he knew how to pass the time. He picked up the phone and called his best friend, Nicole, to fill her in on the details.

* * *

Stephen was glad to be home. He had fun seeing some of his old FCW friends and meeting fans, but he just wanted to kick back and relax. He was surprised to find that Ryan wasn't in the living watching TV or messing around on his computer. Stephen assumed that he must have gone to bed early. He walked into the kitchen and pulled a glass from the cabinet. Next he poured himself some whiskey. After a long day, Stephen loved some good whiskey before bed. He sipped his drink as he made his way back to the bedroom. There he found that Ryan was still awake. He lay on the bed in nothing but a tight pair of black briefs. A book on the nightstand indicated that he had been reading.

"Welcome home."

"Thanks," Stephen uttered taking another sip of liquor.

"Have fun?"

"It wasn't bad. I just hate havin' to do stuff like this on my days off. I like ta jus kick back and relax."

"Well, maybe I can help you with the relaxation part," Ryan said in a seductive tone as he crawled to the edge of the bed and sat up on his knees.

He grabbed Stephen by his tie and pulled him in for a kiss. He could taste the whiskey on his lover's breath and he liked it. He began to undo the tie as Stephen sat his now empty glass on the dresser behind him. Ryan removed the brown hat and let it drop to the floor. He ran his fingers through the coarse red hair. Stephen looked cute with his hair lying naturally and Ryan loved that he could run his fingers through it without having to worry about getting stuck. Ryan turned his attention to Stephen vest and began to unbutton it. Stephen kissed Ryan's neck as his hands caressed the bare torso of the slender man. Ryan removed Stephen's shirt and pulled him down onto the bed.

"Lay back and relax," he said.

Stephen complied and leaned against the headboard. Ryan kissed Stephen, starting at the neck, moving down the chest – stopping to give some extra attention to one of his nipples - before trailing down his torso. He undid Stephen's belt and removed the brown pants with some assistance. He returned to his lover's mouth. The two men kissed passionately. Stephen's tongue lapped Ryan's mouth, catching teeth, lips, and anything else in the vicinity. The licking turned to biting as their desire grew. Ryan moved back down. His tongue explored every crevice of Stephen's defined torso, as did his hands.

Stephen breathed heavily as his hands began to grab lustfully. His palms rubbed at Ryan's tight, round buttocks. His fingers curled inward. He kissed the top of Ryan's head. His motions intensified as he felt his cock and balls being groped. He got instant goose bumps as he felt Ryan's wet lips kissing his thigh. His erection intensified; Ryan seemed so close yet so far away.

Ryan's mouth slowly worked its way over. He began kissing the thin layer of cotton that separated him from his man's member. He gently grazed the underside of the shaft with his teeth. His warm saliva slowly soaked through the fabric. Stephen throbbed with want. His hips began to buck. Ryan slid his hands over strong muscular thighs. So many erogenous zones being stimulated at once, it was almost torture. Ryan's mouth moved down to the scrotal area as Stephen's fingers fumbled with long auburn hair.

"Ry…" Stephen's tone almost begged. He had to be freed and sooner. His large hands gripped at Ryan's underwear. He began to tug, almost as if sending a nonverbal message of his need and want.

Ryan continued to tease. Stephen's hands ran up and down his lover's back, almost spastic.

"Please…"

Ryan complied. Grabbing the elastic band, he pulled down the front of Stephen's boxer briefs, exposing his hardened organ.

Stephen felt the cool rush of air followed by the warm, wet feeling of Ryan's tongue running up the underside of his shaft, hitting every important nerve. Suddenly the entire shaft was engulfed in warmth. Stephen felt Ryan's lips wrap around the bottom of the shaft. He had never been deep-throated before; he loved it.

"Oh, God," Stephen moaned, barely able make a sound.

Ryan gripped the bottom of the shaft and began to work up and down with his lips. Stephen continued to moan and groan in pleasure. Ryan stopped only for a moment to remove Stephen's underwear completely. Stephen assisted; glad to be free of the confining clothing. When Ryan returned to work he gave a great lick from the balls all the way up the shaft before taking it back in his mouth. Now, Stephen placed his hands on Ryan's head, he guided him to go faster and wilder. Ryan began to work his lips, tongue, and hands simultaneously.

"Yeah," Stephen groaned deeply. He could only glance at Ryan momentarily before his head fell back to the pillow with deep breathing.

Ryan stroked Stephen slowly and deliberately. He continued this as he began to lap at the head with his tongue. Stephen tugged at his own hair with both hands. Precum began to dribble from the tip. Ryan licked up the salty fluid. Stephen's body trembled and flinched. He locked his hands around Ryan's head and directed the movement and tempo. After a few moments, he stopped his lover. He sat up and moved Ryan into the position the he had just been in. He slid down, tore away the black briefs, and gently lifted Ryan's toned thighs up and out, exposing his separation. Stephen's tongue darted from his mouth and began to tease the opening. It moved rapidly and wildly, exploring the entire area. Ryan shuddered in ecstasy.

"Oooh," Ryan moaned softly.

He had never experience pleasure quite like this. Besides the sensation of his lover's tongue, the coarse facial hair pricked and tickled sensitive areas. It gave him goose bumps, in the good way. Stephen began to kiss the hole, which contracted in response. After a few minutes, Stephen stood up. Ryan crawled to the edge of the bed and once again began to pleasure his man orally.

"Fuck, you just keep goin' dontcha?"

"You have no idea."

Ryan alternated between stroking and sucking. The variation made it even more enjoyable for the recipient. As he continued to go to work with his mouth, he fondled Stephen's balls with one hand as he stroked himself with the other. Stephen clenched his eyes closed and bit his bottom lip.

"Ah, yeah."

Once again Stephen stopped Ryan, "Let's try somethin' new."

Stephen laid Ryan back and scooted him back to the center of the bed. He then crawled across the bed and rotated himself over his partner into the 69 position. The two lovers began to pleasure each other at the same time. The ecstasy was mutual. In this position, Ryan was able to give attention to both Stephen's balls and cock. Stephen worked Ryan over with his tongue while slowly working his fingers into the equation.

For a change of pace, Stephen gave some attention to Ryan's cock. His large hands almost engulfed the entire shaft. Ryan decided to change things up as well and began to tongue the perineum. This was an area that Stephen had never had stimulated and he liked it quite a bit.

"Babe, I want you inside me," Ryan confessed.

Stephen moved off of his partner and stood up. He retrieved the lube from the nightstand and lay back on the bed. He squeezed some of the gel onto his hand and began to lather his cock with the cool substance. Ryan straddled him and began to move back and forth, gliding his buttocks around the slippery shaft. Stephen returned the affection by caressing Ryan all over.

Ryan gripped the large cock firmly to steady it and then lowered himself around it. He allowed it to slide slowly into place. He then began to rock slightly. Stephen moaned as he caressed the submissive one's thighs. The rocking gradually intensified until the bottom slid up and down in rapid succession. Stephen kept a strong grip on Ryan's hips. Ryan arched his back and braced himself on Stephen's thighs.

The couple moaned as they continued their act. Ryan stroked himself; the duel stimulation was a feeling rivaled by none other. Stephen used his strong grip to dictate the motions. Ryan braced one foot flat on the bed for better leverage. The motions became even wilder. Stephen continued to groan and grunt, in an almost animalistic way.

Without a word, Stephen lifted Ryan and set him down on all fours. The muscular one penetrated the other from behind and began to buck wildly. It was aggressive and the submissive one loved it. He moaned in a way that displayed enjoyment and appreciation.

Showing some initiative, Ryan pulled himself up onto his knees and then finally to a standing position. The top followed suit without missing a beat. The bottom then lifted his leg and placed it on the headboard; Stephen slipped deeper inside. He pumped slowly yet hard and intense.

"Fuck yeah!" the Warrior exclaimed. He was in charge, just the way he liked it. In ring and out, domination was definitely his game.

Ryan put his leg back down, bent further at the waist, and jutted out his ass.

"Yeah! Fuck my ass!" Ryan spoke up. This turned Stephen on even more; he threw his head back and went at it like never before.

After a few moments, Stephen changed their position again, laying Ryan on his back and lifting his legs. He began to drill the smaller man, keeping a firm grasp on both ankles. He soon relinquished his grip on his lover's ankles and lowered himself on top of the other. They kissed more passionately than ever. Ryan threw his head back and clawed at Stephen's back. Stephen covered Ryan's neck in kisses and licks. Next, he arched his back and raised himself up, pounding slowly and steadily. He trembled too much to stay in this position long, he collapsed back to his previous position, rocking wildly.

"I'm almost there!" Ryan exclaimed urgently.

Stephen lifted himself back to his knees. Ryan jerked himself frantically and Stephen pumped in rhythm to his movements. Ryan arched his back and Stephen forced himself all the way in. Ryan let out an extended groan as he came. As the ejaculation stopped, he breathed heavily. He could tell from the look on Stephen's face that his turn was coming soon. Stephen pulled out and gripped his cock tightly. With a few slow jerks, his cum began to fly.

"Oh, oh, ugh," he moaned as he covered Ryan with his fluid. It was probably the best orgasm he had ever experienced. It seemed as though the contractions would never stop. When they finally did, he smiled down at Ryan before lowering himself in for a kiss. He rolled off of his partner and laid breathing for a minute.

"If I smoked, I'd be lighting up right now." Ryan uttered short of breath.

"Damn straight," Stephen agreed.

After grabbing a towel and cleaning up, the two cozied up to each other in bed, still naked.

"Goodnight, mo laoch," Ryan whispered. "My warrior," there was no better term he thought. He only knew that Gaelic word because it's printed across the front of Sheamus's trunks.

"Goodnight, mo prionsa," Stephen returned.

"What?"

"It means 'prince.' You are my Gaelic Prince and I am your Celtic Warrior."

Stephen was probably the most romantic man Ryan had ever known and it just made him fall deeper and deeper every day. He wanted to try his profession of love again, but ultimately decided against it. Secretly, Stephen wanted to return the expression from last night, but also chose not to.


	9. Chapter 9: RAW

_So, I know it's been like a million years since an update. Life has been crazy busy these past couple of months trying to balance school, an acting career, and a relationship. Hopefully I can begin writing more regularly again. Anyway, here you go: Some more slashy goodness with Ryan and Stephen._

* * *

Stephen and Ryan's time together ended all to soon. Before they knew it, they were back on the road, working a weekend full of shows. About the only time they had together was when they went to bed each night; of course this excludes their time performing together in which they had to pretend they couldn't stand each other. They went about business as usual one, meaning they chose not to make a production out of their relationship. Stephen made more of an attempt to cover the romance more than Ryan did; however, his new distance from his "friend" caught notice of some of the other superstars.

Monday morning rolled around. This would be the night that Zac Helmsley was to have his first official match as a WWE Superstar. The alarm went off at 10:00 as usual. Ryan rolled over to find conspicuous emptiness beside him in the bed. He sat up, shaking his hair out of his face. For a second, he surveyed the room and listened for signs of his roommate. As he went to reach for his phone he spied a note on the hotel stationary:

"Ry, went for an early workout with Paul. Dinner before the show? See you this afternoon. –Phen."

Ryan smiled a little at the thoughtfulness before rolling out of bed and getting ready for his usual workout with Nicole.

* * *

"So, I told him I loved him," Ryan said as best he could on an elliptical.

"RYAN!" Nicole scolded.

"It's not like he heard it; he was asleep."

"That's not the point. You need to calm down. This all started, what, a week ago?"

"No, a week ago is when we first acted on our feelings, but I've been falling for him for a while now and apparently he's had feelings for me too."

"Ryan, you may have started to crush on him a while ago, but that doesn't mean you love him – just the idea of him. Honey, I'm not trying to be a bitch, but you throw that word around. Remember Benji? Or some of those other losers you've been with?"

"This is different."

"Honey, I'm just saying be careful. Don't get your heart set on something so soon. I'm not saying it's not going to work out or anything like that. Just slow down and take it easy. Let things happen as they're meant to. In the past, you've tried to rush things. Just slooooooooow down."

"OK…So I take things easy. Does that mean I stop sleeping with him or what?"

"You said the sex was good, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then hell no, don't stop sleeping with him! Just don't go all 'I love you so much' on him. You get too gushy too soon and it scares men away…and sometimes you make me want to puke rainbows with all that lovey-dovey talk."

"OK, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am; the hag is always right and…" Nicole trailed off as a sweaty mass of man caught her eye. Through the glass window of the aerobics room, she could see John Morrison practicing his Parkour training in the hallway.

Ryan flashed her a look that she couldn't stand.

"WHAT? I never said I love him, I just think he's hot…HOTTY MCHOT! HOT! HE'S HOT!" she exclaimed as she drooled over him.

"OK, I'll slow down with Stephen if you speed up with John."

"Wait, what? Ryan, that's not fair! I don't have your reckless confidence. I mean he's fuckin' John Morrison…and I'm…I'm…Nicole!"

"Talk to him. Do it. Don't think about it. Do it."

"I will! …later…"

She continued to watch him as he sprinted down the hallway.

"Mhm." Ryan vocalized snarkily.

They continued their workout. Various superstars walked by the window on their way to and from the weight room. The two often made comments on what they thought of the individual's physique. They were agreed that Edge and Randy Orton were two very fine men. After a while, Ryan spied his favorite superstar. The ginger was about to walk on by until he caught sight of Ryan out of the corner of his eye. He stopped in the window. He made a ridiculous faces and he flexed his muscles in over exaggerated, cliché poses. Ryan laughed as the ginger continued to entertain him. Nicole just smiled and shook her head. She could have puked a rainbow as a result of the cheesy adorableness. Suddenly, Paul walked up behind the unknowing showoff and placed him in a fake headlock. Stephen face changed to yet another ridiculous expression. The blonde gave a noogie to the redhead before the two wrestled each other to the ground. After a moment of being out of sight, the two men popped back up into full view and an awkward dance away from the window. As soon as they were out of sight, Ryan let out a soft sigh.

"I love that man."

"RYAN!"

* * *

"Are ya goin' ta come out of there or are ya just gonna leave Paul to get the Holy Hell beat oughta him?" Stephen called as he finished lacing up his emerald green wrestling boot.

"Yeah, just a second," Ryan called from inside the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom, Ryan stood in front of the mirror in his newly acquired wrestling attire: an electric green tank top made of some sort of lycra/spandex-like material, black vinyl shorts (that looked somewhat like hotpants), and patent leather boots with attached kneed pads. It also included elbow pads and fingerless gloves. He knew he looked fine, but was self-conscious for some reason.

"Come on, lad. We aint got all nigh," Stephen called.

Ryan hesitantly opened the door and stepped out. Stephen was actually speechless. Ryan looked good. The tight clothing clung to his figure in a flattering way. The shorts showed off the amazing legs that Stephen loved.

"Ya look…great…" Stephen finally uttered.

"Really?"

"Seriously, ya look jus fine, Ry. Naw, don' worry bout nothin'. Jus remember what ya've been taught and give the best performance ya can."

Stephen gave Ryan a soft kiss.

"Thanks for everything, Phen."

The two turned and exited the locker room. On the way to the stage area, they met up with Paul who was pumped and ready to go. He was just as exited for Ryan's debut as Stephen. When they arrived at the curtain, Ryan took a few deep breaths. His kneed pads had started to work their way down from his nervous pacing and bouncing about. He bent down to adjust them. As he did, the vinyl gripped his ass even tighter. Stephen noticed but quickly had to turn around to try and subdue the stirring in his trunks. Shortly, his tag team partner, Randy Orton arrived.

"OK, we're ready for Orton," one of the tech guys called.

The Viper's theme burst out over the sound system and he made his way through the curtain. The other competitors watched on the monitor. Randy's music began to fade. Stephen grabbed Ryan's hand and gave it a quick squeeze just before his music hit and he was off.

"Alright, baby bro, let's kick some ass!" Paul exclaimed wrapping his arms around Ryan.

Suddenly, the music hit and it was show time.

* * *

Triple H and Zac made their entrance to an arena of screaming fans. Zac got a boost knowing that those cheers were half for him, or at least he hoped they were. They made their way to the ring and entered. Zac fed off the crowd's energy. He and Triple H worked them into frenzy with taunts and poses. Across the ring, Sheamus kept his eye on the little one. He was ready to tear him apart (Stephen was too, but in a different way). The music faded out and it was time to get down to business.

The match started with Zac and Randy in first. The two circled the ring. It was clear that the shorter one was nervous about being in the ring with the Viper. As they circled, Zac kept an anxious eye on Sheamus. Suddenly, the Viper lunged, the Helmsley brother, ducked and rolled out of the ring. He walked around outside, afraid to get back in. The referee began to yell and count him out. On the count of 6, Zac reentered the ring timidly. As he got up, Orton lunged and the two locked up. Zac's technicality, as expected, sucked. Orton overpowered the younger wrestler and threw him around the ring. Zac was able to get a few hits, kicks, and slaps in here and there. Hunter called for a tag as Sheamus cheered on the beating; Paul and Stephen, however, were both keeping a protective eye out and making sure that Randy didn't get too rough. Finally, Zac was able to break free from Randy and make a dash to his corner where he tagged in his brother.

Hunter leapt into the ring and let out pent up aggression. He was in control for quite a while until he was backed into his opponents' corner. Sheamus and Randy took turns beating down the Cerebral Assassin, tagging in and out as necessary. Zac led the crowd in cheers for Hunter. The larger brother was able to work his way out of the corner. He crawled toward his brother. Orton grabbed Hunter's left ankle, but he was able to roll over and deliver a quick kick to the Viper's face. Randy staggered back groggily as Hunter sprang the rest of the way and made the tag to Zac.

Zac ascended the turnbuckle and perched. Randy turned and began to charge; before he could reach the corner, Zac leapt into the air and locked his legs around the neck of his opponent whipping him down with a thunderous head scissors. He quickly climbed to his feet and delivered a swift kick to Randy's head. He continued to delivers kicks and elbows; his best bet was to keep his opponent grounded. Randy crawled over to the corner. Zac used this to his advantage and began to choke Orton with his boot. Randy grabbed the ankle strangling him and began to pull it away. Helmsley was no match for his strength. The Viper gained leverage and slammed the boy to the mat. Zac's head bounced off the canvas; he rolled nursing the injury. Randy slithered into his signature stance and began beating the mat with his fists. Sheamus quickly leaned through the ropes and tagged his partner, barely able to reach his boot. Randy looked back angrily. He got into Sheamus face and exchanged words. The Celtic Warrior motioned for him to return to the corner. He hesitantly complied. Zac, finally regaining thought, noticed the looming redhead; he scurried up and over to the corner, finding it empty. Hunter stilled laid resting on the outside, trying to recover from his beating. Zac turned back, sinking into the corner. He tried to reason with the large man closing in on him. The Celt grabbed Zac by his hair and pulled him up before delivering an elbow to the face. He manhandled his tiny opponent for a while before stuffing his head between his thighs.

"Trust me," he whispered before letting out a shout and beating his chest.

He lifted Zac into the position for the Celtic Cross Powerbomb. He began to run forward. However, Hunter had returned to the apron and grabbed Zac by the leg and pulled him out of the grasp of the Warrior, sitting him on the turnbuckle. Sheamus, realizing he had lost his prey, turned and charged. Zac quickly hooked one leg around the ropes and leaned back delivering a kick to Sheamus's head. He repositioned himself on the turnbuckle and delivered a sloppy missile dropkick. Sheamus staggered about in a daze. Zac grabbed him and Irish whipped him to the corner. It took every bit of strength he had to do so and staggered to the point of almost falling. Spying Randy, he ran across the ring and dropkicked the Viper, sending him off the apron. He returned his attention to active opponent. Backing into the opposite corner, he ran forward and delivered a handspring elbow. He was glad he had that gymnastic training. Sheamus staggered out of the corner.

"FINISH HIM!" Hunter yelled from the apron.

SHIT! They HADN'T practiced a finisher. Zac had very little time to think. Making up his mind in a rush, he kicked Sheamus in the midsection and pulled his head between his legs. He began to hook the arms. The crowd was going crazy. He delivered a weak pedigree, but the audience didn't seem to care.

"PIN HIM!" Hunter shouted.

The crowd continued to cheer. Zac was on a performance high, a feeling he was used to from his theatre days. He wanted to give a really big ending. He ran toward the ropes, spring boarded from the second rope, and delivered a near flawless lionsault. He hooked his opponent's leg for the pin.

1…2…3! It was all over he had won.

Zac and Triple H celebrated in the middle of the ring as Sheamus and Orton skulked to the back with the shame of being beat by a non-wrestler on his first time out.

* * *

Ryan entered the seemingly empty locker room. Before he knew it, he was grabbed and thrown against the door and pinned with great force.

"So ya think ya made me yer bitch out there tonigh? Well, now I'm gonna make you my bitch."

Stephen was still in character. Ryan was extremely turned on. He tried to wiggle free but was no match for the larger man.

"D'ya know how hard twas to hide this out there?" the redhead asked as his large hand guided the smaller one over the green and black wrestling trunks. Ryan could feel Stephen hard cock through the thin material. He felt a sudden tightness in his own shorts. He began to slide his hand into the trunks but it was suddenly pulled away and pinned over his head.

"Did I say ya could play with it?" Stephen asked as he pressed his body against his captive.

Ryan just gasped in response. He was enjoying this little game. There was something hot about being dominated. There was a quick but surprisingly delightful pain as he felt his head tugged to the side by his hair. Stephen bit at his neck and then began to alternate nibbling and sucking. Ryan was able to get enough leverage to spring his legs up and around Stephen's waist. Stephen responded by grabbing his lover by the ass and squeezing tightly. He staggered backward and carried Ryan across the room as they continued to make out. He pressed Ryan against another wall and began aggressively kissing all over his face and neck. Ryan raked his nails through the bed of red hair and dragged them down the pale neck and back.

After several minutes of kissing and grinding, the Celtic Warrior sat his partner back down and began unfastening the black vinyl shorts. He then turned the boy around and bent him over the arm of the couch before pulling his trunks down just enough to release his cock. Ryan felt his cheeks being parted by large hands and then he felt the warm wetness of saliva. Stephen tapped his erection against Ryan a few times before plunging deep inside. Ryan almost screamed out but remembered where he was. He bit his lip to silence himself. Stephen pumped feverishly from behind. He groaned softly as he did. Both of the lovers found something strangely hot about the feral nature of this particular session. After a few more moments Ryan felt his body tingling and his head spinning as his body released. Feeling the contractions from inside his lover's body, Stephen became even more turned on and pumped harder and faster very briefly before his movements lost all rhythm and control in the madness of orgasm. He slumped down and laid his head on Ryan's clothed back, breathing heavily, eyes closed.

"That's whatcha get fer beatin' makin' me look like a fool out there, Helmsley," Stephen uttered through heavy breaths.

"Well, then I might just have to beat you more often," Ryan relplied.

Stephen laughed softly, "OK, let's hit the showers."


	10. Chapter 10: Fag

_No, you're not tripping off of bath salts. I am ACTUALLY updating this story for the firs time in, what, 2 years?!_

After their bit of lockerroom fun, Stephen and Ryan returned to their hotel room. Ryan was exhausted after the long day. He undressed and crawled into bed. Laying his head on the pillow and closing his eyes, he sleepily patted the spot next to him, indicating that he wanted the ginger to join him. Stephen couldn't help but oblige. Climbed into bed and placed an arm around the sleepy one. He kissed Ryan's hair softly and whispered goodnight.

Stephen wasn't as tired, so he decided to play around on his phone a bit before retiring. He checked his e-mail and responded to some texts before logging onto Twitter. Feeling obligated, he posted an angry Tweet about his loss, calling it a fluke, and promising to destroy Zac Helmsley once and for all. Once this task was complete, he began scrolling through the fans' Tweets about the show. Then he saw something he wasn't expecting:

"Saw Sheamus wit Zac after show. looked pretty friendly lol what a fag!"

Suddenly Stephen felt his heart sink and a lump for in his throat. Is he really a fag? He was the same guy he just happened to be having feelings for another guy. Does that really define him? For the first time since he and Ryan started their relationship – whatever it may be – his mind started racing. How will people perceive him if they find out? Will it jeopardize his career?

Stephen still wasn't tired, but he put his phone away, wanting to get away from that word. Fag. He hated it. Why were words like that even necessary? His mind kept racing, but he lay down and closed his eyes. It was quite awhile before he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When morning came, Stephen was awoken by the sensation of soft lips on his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes and rolled over. Their eyes locked and Stephen couldn't help but grin.

"Good morning," the little one whispered.

"Good mornin'," the Celt replied softly.

"How are you feeling? You were tossing and turning all night."

Stephen's face fell a bit, but he quickly attempted to recover: "Oh, I didn't ya noticed. I hope I didn't keep ya awake. I just had trouble getting' comfortable."

Ryan didn't but it completely, but at the same time he didn't want to press the issue. "Okay. Just making sure there isn't something on your mind."

"Nah, I'm fine. Dontcha worry 'bout me," Stephen uttered, lightly pressing his lips against his partner's.

The moment was ruined by the shrieking alarm on Ryan's iPhone.

"Ugh, time to get going," Ryan said with a huff as he rolled out of bed.

The two packed up their belongings quickly. It was going to be another long day in the life of a WWE Superstar. Ryan went to the front desk and checked out as Stephen loaded up the car. Neither one of them were looking forward to the 3-hour drive to be followed by a press conference and autograph signing.

On his way out of the hotel, Ryan was spotted by a few fans who happened to be staying there. He obliged them with autographs and a few photos. They attempted to carry on a conversation, but he was able to excuse himself and make his way to the car, where Stephen waited.

"Ya can't stop for every fan, ya know," Stephen said without even looking over at the boy in the passenger seat.

"Sorry, this is all new to me. I get caught up in the excitement of being a celebrity…"

"Well, sooner or later, ya gonna have to learn to jus blend in and go unnoticed. Standin' out isn't always a good ting." The way he spoke, it sounded like Stephen was scolding Ryan like he was a child.

"Sorry…" was the only thing Ryan could stammer out as he felt his heart sink. He felt like a puppy who just got swatted on the rump by his master.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Ryan looked out his window and rested his head on his hand. Finally, the driver broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Ry. I din't mean ta soun like an arsehole. I'm jus crank cuz I din't sleep well. Tat's all."

He reached over and gently brushed the young man's shoulder in a comforting manner. Ryan took the hand and squeezed it gently. Stephen then pulled the boy's small hand to his face and kissed it gently. The two continued to hold hands for a while as they traveled down the high way.

Further down the road, they hit some traffic. Stephen glanced about in a nervous, almost paranoid manner. He felt that everyone was staring at them. Silently, he withdrew his hand and clutched the wheel. Ryan glanced over to see how his partner was doing. The redheaded man was staring intently ahead.

"Are you okay?" the boy questioned.

"Yeah…" the response was short and almost snappy.

"Really, because you've seemed a little weird all day. Are you sur…"

"Ryan, I said leave it alone! Christ!"

The two fell into silence. Stephen was just as shocked as Ryan by the sudden outburst. The boy just swallowed hard and turned to look back out his window. He felt a little choked up. If he wasn't in "worry mode" already, it was just thrown into overdrive. Stephen sighed heavily and tugged at his own hair.

"God dammit," he stammered, looking for the right words, "I jus can't say anyting righ today. I'm jus gonna kep me mouth shut for a while."

"Okay…I'm going to take a nap," with this Ryan reclined his seat and rolled to face away from Stephen. He didn't nap at all, he just laid in silence…feeling oddly empty. After a long while, Ryan felt the car come to a stop.

"We're here," the driver announced. "I'm gonna let ya out at the door so ya can meet up with Paul. I'll park."

Without a word, Ryan sat up and slid out of the car. And disappeared into the convention center where the press conferences were to be held. Stephen pulled the car around to a secluded spot in a far corner of the parking lot.

He sighed, rubbing his head. Suddenly he began violently slamming his fists into the the steering wheel.

"God dammit! I'm not a fag!"

He took a moment to cool down before he turned off the car and made his way into the convention center himself.

* * *

The press conferences went on without incident. Ryan, although confused by his emotions, kept his cool. Nobody could tell by his demeanor that he had had a rough morning. He channeled everything into the Sheamus-bashing segment of the interview.

Stephen watched Ryan's interview from a monitor in the back. He was feeling very conflicted. His feelings for Ryan were strong; he enjoyed the time they spent together. Yet, he just couldn't shake this bizarre feeling he had of apprehension. Soon enough, it was his turn to go out to meet with the press. Similar to Ryan's method, Stephen covered his own issues with Sheamus sourpuss attitude.

The hours seemed to drag by during the fan meet-and-greets. Ryan did his best to escape into his newfound celebrity. His reluctance to look across the room at Stephen's table only added to the tension between characters. Eventually the time came and it was time to go. In all honesty, Ryan was not looking forward to another two-and-a-half hours in the car with Stephen. This was a first for him.

Ryan was escorted toward the exit by Nicole. She was his own personal diary. He told her everything. She gave her advice on the situation. As good as the advice was, Ryan wasn't paying much mind. They were almost to the exit, when the man was caught on the arm by a large white hand.

"Ry, can I talk to ya for a minute?" The voice was unmistakable.

Nicole knew it was time to exit and give the men their privacy. She simply gestured for a hug. "I'll see you later tonight. We can do dinner or something."

"Alright, have a safe drive," Ryan responded as the two hugged.

It was only a moment before Nicole was gone and Stephen turned his attention back to Ryan.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I know I've been actin like a complete bastard today. I'm dealin' wit my own problems and I took them out on ya."

Ryan was comforted by his love's soft tone. He looked into his man's eyes in a way that communicated understanding.

"Here," Stephen continued, pulling sometime from his pocket. "I want you to have something."

The man placed a silver chain around the boy's neck. At the end of the chain hung a Celtic cross with a single emerald stone in the center.

"Forgive me?"

"Of course. And thank you for the necklace. It's beautiful."

With this, Stephen wrapped his large arm around small of Ryan's back and pulled him in close. The grasp was strong yet gentle. The "captive's" small hands slid up the muscled torso covered by a soft t-shirt. In this proximity, the two could feel the rhythm of each other's heart beat. They seemed to sync as the two's lips met. Ryan's hands slid up around the base of the Great White's neck as the grip around his waist tightened.

"We haven't known each other that long, but I want ya ta know that ya mean so much to me. Thanks fer puttin' up wit a jerk like me."

"Yeah, you have been a jerk lately," the boy pulled back to show the smile growing across his face, "but you're my jerk."

The two chuckled and kissed again before locking in a tight embrace. Stephen rested his head on top of Ryan's. In that moment, he didn't care what anybody said. He didn't feel like a fag. He just felt right.


	11. Chapter 11: The Wild Ride

The ride to their next destination was far more enjoyable than the previous. Stephen and Ryan were both feeling much better. They spent a good part of the drive talking. The atmosphere was laidback and their topics of conversation went from the business to movies to playfully teasing each other and everything in between. Conversation just seemed to come easily for them.

They were about 45 minutes from their destination when the talking just petered out and gave way to the music on the radio. Ryan was nodding his head along with the Nickleback song on the radio when he caught Stephen fidgeting with his crotch out of the corner of eye.

"What are you doing over there?" he inquired with a snarky tone.

"Oh, aren't ya observant tanigh, fella? Keepin tabs on my package are ya?" the driver teased back.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to notice someone playing with himself two feet away!"

"Fer yer information, I have a boredom boner and I was adjusting it!" Stephen explained.

"A boredom boner?"

"Don't tell me ya never get 'em. There a pain in the arse when you're not positioned jus right…my jeans are crushin' it."

"Poor baby," Ryan teased.

"Dontcha mock me!"

"Here, let me help you out with that."

At this, Ryan reached over, quickly unzipped Stephen pants and unleashed the Celt. This alone sent Stephen's heart into a wild frenzy. Without much delay, Ryan took the entirety into his mouth. The warm, wet sensation was almost too much for Stephen. He gasped and momentarily lost control of the car. They swerved a little, but he got it back on track.

"Hey, be careful up there. This wouldn't be a very dignified way to die," Ryan laughed.

"Oh, shut up and suck my cock," Stephen demanded, pushing Ryan back down on it till he nearly choked.

Ryan went to work. He bobbed up and down, alternating between sucking and twirling his tongue around the throbbing head. Simultaneously, he rubbed the shaft with one hand while playing with his mans plump, heavy balls. Stephen was having trouble focusing on the road. Just about the only thing he could think about was, "damn, this boy really knows how to use his mouth, tongue, and hands!"

Stephen was driving with one hand while twisting the other through his lover's hair. Ryan began to go faster and more ferociously.

"Fuck! I need ta pull over, right now!"

Stephen took the next available exit and drove down the road a bit. They were in the midst of farmland and there was not much light or, luckily, people around. Soon he spotted a barn a ways off from the road. He turned up the gravel drive and parked behind it.

"Oooh, yeah, suck tat cock, boy," Stephen moaned as he struggled to be rid of his shirt.

After a few more moments, Stephen pulled the boy up and gestured to the back seat. Ryan climbed through the center for the front seats and Stephen follow, albeit with a bit more difficulty. Once he was back there, he flipped Ryan onto all fours and began undoing the boy's pants.

"Bend over, fella, I'm gonna eat yer arse!"

With this, he spread his lover's cheeks and dove in. He started with several slow strokes across the tight pucker. Ryan gripped the door handle and moaned loudly. The sounds only encouraged the red head to intensify his actions. He began darting his tongue back and forth quickly; then he started swirling his town around the opening in a teasing manner.

"Mmm, eat my ass, babe," Ryan moaned.

Stephen spit in the hole for lube and then really went to town with his tongue. His course facial hair scratched and tickled in all the right places. Ryan couldn't muster up any word; he could only moan and pant. The sounds of his lover's ecstasy drove the Celt wild. He reached over the back seat and found his bag; he dug through it quickly until he came up the bottle of lube. Now wanting to lose any moment, he worked quickly to lube up his cock and fingers, which he eased into his partner. He started slow but rapidly progressed into wild thrusts.

"Want me inside you?" Stephen growled into Ryan's ear.

"Yes," Ryan gasped.

"Want me to fuck you hard," the bigger man continued.

"Stephen…please…"

"I want to hear ya say it. I want to know ya want it rough," he demanded.

"Fuck me! Stephen, I want you to fuck me hard! Fuc-" Ryan's words failed him in favor of cry of pleasure and pain as Stephen buried himself to the hilt inside of Ryan's tight, warm ass.

He started with slow, deliberate thrusts. With each stroke, he pulled almost all the way out before easing all the way back in. He slowly gained moment until he was literally pounding the boy's ass. The car rocked wildly with their passion. Stephen planted a firm slap across Ryan's ass before grabbing his hair and leaning back. Ryan arched his back, enjoying feeling the pain of his hair being pulled and pleasure of his lover's thrusts simultaneously.

They continued like this for a good while. The sex was wild, unhinged, and animalistic. They both enjoyed it a great deal. Sweat was driving over both of the men and the smell of sex pervaded the air. Finally, Ryan could feel himself losing control. He began to gasp wildly as his entire body tensed.

"Fuck! Fuck! Stephen…I'm…" before he could finish he released.

The bottom's body tensed, clenching the member inside of him. Stephen closed his eyes and went full force. Soon he lost all rhythm and he began to unload inside of his partner. He collapsed onto Ryan's back and the two fell to the seat, panting heavily.

"Oh, God. That…was…awesome…" Ryan was barely able to utter these words in his loss of breath.

"Thank you," Stephen chuckled somewhat cockily before he laid a gentle kiss on the back of Ryan's neck.

"I don't think the rental place is going to appreciate these love stains though," the two laughed at the thought of having to explain crusty car upholstery.

"Well, I need ta go piss and you need ta brush yer goddamn hair," Stephen declared in a comical manner.

"Oh, such poetry! You are the Lord of Romance!" Ryan chuckled in a playfully sarcastic tone.

"I try," Stephen laughed into Ryan's ear, "but seriously, you are wonderful."

Stephen planted one more kiss before hopping off of his lover and climbing out of the car to find a place to relieve himself. Ryan lay in the same spot smiling for a moment; then he rolled off the seat and began to freshen up.


	12. Chapter 12: Doubt

When the workweek came to an end, Ryan and Stephen found themselves parting ways to return to their separate homes. Stephen returned to Tampa, where he found that his apartment seemed somewhat bigger than he remembered. Somehow it didn't seem right without Ryan. He even had trouble sleeping – first it was the absence of the partner he had become accustomed to sleeping next to; however, it later gave way to one of the most nagging emotions – doubt.

Ryan was glad to be back in Indiana. He had missed his family and friends quite a bit as of late. But it wasn't long before he began to miss Stephen. Now, Ryan isn't always the best at handling his emotions. Without the Celt around all the time, he began to get pretty mopey and seemed somewhat distracted. At the beginning of the week, he could lift his spirits by holding continuous text conversations with the man in question; however, by the middle of the week contact was becoming somewhat shorter. This did nothing to help his mood. Ryan began to become somewhat paranoid. He wanted to question the situation and find out why Stephen had suddenly become so distant. At the same time, he didn't want to seem overly clingy and needy. So, he resisted the urge to confront the other man.

As the week wore on, Ryan busied himself with hobbies, hanging out with friends, and spending time with his mother and siblings. In fact, other than Stephen, he thought nothing of the WWE in that week. The online gossip mill was the furthest thing from his mind. On the other hand, this was not the case for Stephen. He couldn't seem to get away from all the rumors that flew around on the internet – "Is the Celtic Warrior plundering the Game's Baby Brother?" "Could the Wrestling World Handle a Gay Champion?" When it wasn't the rumors, it was the jokes and nasty comments. Fans were going wild mocking his loss to a rookie – an extremely scrawny rookie at that. He suddenly felt like he was moving backwards in his career or, worse, that it may be over soon.

In the world of an Irish athlete, the rumor mill isn't the only source of anxiety. Stephen was raised in a devout Irish Catholic family; and little need be said about the Catholic outlook on homosexuality. Furthermore, he felt great pressure from his family – a pressure they probably had no intention to create. Every time he spoke to his mother, she asked if he was seeing a girl or how long she'd have to wait for him to "settle down with a nice Catholic girl" and her grandbabies to spoil. How could he ever tell her he was with a guy – a protestant guy, none-the-less. He honestly couldn't decide what would bother her more, the homosexuality or the fact that Ryan wasn't Catholic. He had a lot to think about. With each passing thought he felt two very important things – his career and his romantic life – pulling him in two very different directions.


	13. Chapter 13: The Reunion

After what seemed like an eternity, Monday finally arrived. Stephen flew into town the night before; however, Ryan's flight couldn't be arranged until the morning. The boy had hoped he would be able to arrange for Stephen to pick him up but Stephen declined, citing that he feared too many fans might see them together at the airport and ruin the illusion of the kayfabe world. Ryan agreed that it was probably for the best. As it turns out, this was actually a smooth decision, as a large crowd of fans awaited Ryan and several other superstars arrived at the airport. The illusion was certainly upheld, as the Helmsley brothers traveled to the arena together. They were accompanied by the rookie Diva, Nicole, which actually sparked an all-new rumor in the fandom linking her with the younger brother.

The daily routine of a WWE Superstar is actually more hectic than one might expect. The morning began with production meetings and rehearsals. In the mid afternoon, Superstars cycled through the makeshift studio for photo shoots at designated times. Finally, the preshow day ended with the filming of select cut scenes before breaking for dinner. It was at this time Stephen and Ryan saw each other for the first time. The reunion was clearly a happy one and, to anyone on the outside, it just appeared to be two good friends catching up and getting a bite to eat. However, Stephen couldn't shake the feeling that all eyes were on the pair.

The evening went off pretty well. However, the two found themselves separated again for most of the show, as they were not set to appear together. Ryan appeared at the side of Paul for his match against Cena. He also cut a promo announcing that Zac Helmsley would be officially joining the roster as an active wrestler in the cruiserweight division, citing the rush he felt in his match against Sheamus. It was also announced that he would be taking part in his first singles match next week against Cody Rhodes.

Earlier in the day, the Helmsley brothers had filmed a cut scene in which they set up a triple threat match for the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship against the Big Show, the Great Khali, and Sheamus. It was yet another ploy by the brothers to fuck over the Great White, using their power as relatives to the McMahon family. When it came time for the match, Ryan was waiting for Stephen at the entryway to the ramp. Of course, everyone involved knew that he was to win so that he could have his title match at the upcoming Night of Champions, but it was going to be a strenuous match nonetheless.

Stephen hopped around and stretched in attempt to shake off any last minute nerves or tension. Ryan attempted to massage the warrior's shoulders per usual, but that was quickly put to end.

"Sorry…I appreciate it but it's not helping at the moment," Stephen muttered as he pulled Ryan's hands away.

"Okay…well, good luck out there," Ryan replied.

"Thanks."

The two were just moments away from an awkward silence when "Written in Me Face" hit the P.A. system. It was go time and Stephen was gone through the curtain. He was soon followed by Big Show and Khali who greeted Ryan with high fives just before going "on stage."

The match was long and grueling but the crowd was behind every minute. It was heated and went back and forth several times. There were too many close calls to count. Finally, Sheamus took Khali off the side of the ring with a Brogue Kick, which gave him the time to execute an impressive Celtic Cross on Big Show for three count. The bell rang and the match was over Sheamus was now the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. A smug, gratified smile manifested itself across Sheamus face; it was a sufficient cover for insecurities plaguing Stephen below the surface.

The Great White made his from the staging area to his locker room. Along the way, he passed Ryan who was sitting on equipment box messing around on his iPhone. The boy noticed the passerby and looked up.

"Hey!" he called out in his normally peppy way.

"Hey," the larger man replied as he continued to walk by.

Ryan hopped off the box and continued to follow. Something was up. He'd had the gut feeling all day…hell, all week. He stepped quickly to catch up to Stephen and finally uttered the question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Is everything okay?"

"Come inta the locker room, we need ta talk," Stephen replied opening the door to allow the younger one to pass first.

Ryan's heart pounded but he did his best to remain calm.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Ryan, I tink we need ta cool it a little bit."

The Irishman could not maintain constant eye contact. He would make it but break it just as quickly.

"What?" Ryan uttered lightly. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly.

"Look, it's just tat tere's a lot of pressure on me right now. I'm in line to be champion…and ya know tere are certain expectations tat go with tat title. I don't want anything to jeopardize tat."

"Like what?"

"Like, you know. Do you tink the WWE would want a gay champion? Do ya know how bad tat could be for their image?"

"Bad? If anything, I think that it would boost their credibility – it would make a statement about…"

"Ryan! Please, not everyone sees tings tat way. Me career means a lot to me."

"And I don't…"

"No, you know tat's not what I meant. You know ya mean so much ta me, but I got ta look out for me career."

"So you're breaking up with me."

"I can't break up wit ya – I wasn't yer boyfriend to begin with."

That one hit Ryan like slicing from sternum to navel. Stephen could tell and did his best to soften the situation.

"I'm sorry. We can still be together, we just have to be careful and keep it from being too out in the open."

"A secret relationship. Stephen, this isn't the 8th grade."

"Not secret, just not public."

"They're the same thing."

"No, they're not. Just calm down. We'll figure someting out. Just, when we're around others, don't let on that we…"

"Fuck? I'm guessing that's all this really ever was."

Ryan tried to slide passed Stephen and open the door, but the larger man put all his weight on the door, rending it unmovable for the smaller one. Stephen leaned in close.

"Why are ya doing this to yerself?" he asked Ryan.

"What?"

"Why are ya makin' this such a big deal."

"Because it is a big deal…at least it is to me."

Stephen's arms suddenly softened. Ryan used this opportunity to open the door and excuse himself from the room, leaving the Celt alone with his emotions and thoughts. For a moment he stood in silence and then it all came at once. With a guttural growl, he slammed his fist into a locker, denting it. Then he turned to kick a bench, sending his gym bag, clothes, and a bottle of water in all directions.

* * *

Stephen sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room. He held a bottle of Jameson in one hand. In the other, he held his cell phone, which was pressed against his ear.

"Hello, you've reached Ryan O'Hailin. I can't…"

With a perturbed sigh, Stephen hit the "end" button and killed the line. It was the fourth time he'd heard that prerecorded message that night. He took another swig of his whiskey and looked at the clock. 1:37 am. His attention returned to his phone. He checked his text history with Ryan. Nothing but outgoing messages. No responses. Time to bite the bullet. He cycled through his numbers and landed on Paul's name. Selecting, to send a text message, he began to type:

"Havent seen ryan since show. wont answer phone or text. u seen him?"

The next six minutes seemed like an eternity of silence and alcohol before the phone buzzed. Was Ryan finally ready to talk again. No. It was Paul.

"He's been with me, got him another room. For the best. Leave him alone for now."

At this, Stephen tossed his phone onto the bedside table. He slid off his shirt and laid down. Luckily, the Jameson helped lull him to sleep before too long.


	14. Chapter 14: Falling, Falling, Out

With a slight groan, Stephen slowly began to awaken. He stretched his arms, yawned, and rolled over to an empty spot in the bed next to him. It hit him all over again. Ryan was gone. He had hoped that it was a bad dream. In fact, he had dreamt of his lover throughout the night. But now he was awake and, once again, alone in his hotel room. He drudged through the morning routine, which seemed painfully lonely. Halfway through, he had to turn on the TV just to break through the silence that haunted him.

After breakfast, he packed the last of his things and some of Ryan's into the car. He felt optimistic for a second. If he had Ryan's stuff, Ryan would have to talk to him. Wouldn't he?

Luckily, tonight's house show was only about 80 miles east. This was the first day in a long time that Stephen would have to drive from one show to another alone. He put his favorite Dropkick Murphys album on to aide the trip. It helped get him into a happy place. The drive only took roughly an hour and half; due greatly to the fact that Stephen liked to speed on the interstate.

Once he had pulled into the parking lot of the small campus arena, he pulled out his phone to call Paul. Stephen was really looking forward to talking to Paul. That may sound weird, but he was starting to feel socially deprived. He hadn't actually talked directly to anyone for more than polite, passing conversation since his exchange with Ryan last night. Finally, there was a click as Paul answered:

"Hey, man, what's up?"

"Hey, Paul. I jus got ta arena. Tinkin' of hittin' the weights. I was wonderin' if ya were already here."

"Yeah, I actually just got here about half an hour ago. I'm doing some cardio."

"Cool. I'll be in to join ya in just a few minutes."

"Alright, the weight room is down in the basement. Room 008. See ya in a few."

With a slight click, the call was done. Stephen grabbed his duffle bag from the backseat of the car and headed toward the entrance of the arena. At 11:00 am, the halls were already bustling with tech crew and general WWE staff. Only a handful of wrestlers were anywhere to be seen. After a little bit of searching, Stephen found the stairs and headed down stairs. The bottom of the stairs offered two long corridors to choose from. Going with his gut, he turned right. 004, 005. He was going the right way. 006 was a small practice gym set up with gymnastic mats. Stephen paid little mind until a familiar figure caught his attention.

In the practice gym, Ryan was working with a WWE trainer and Cody Rhodes. With Zac Helmsley's first singles match slated for next Monday night, the company was speeding Ryan through a crash course on in-ring performance. Cody would be his debut opponent. Stephen stopped and observed. Ryan seemed to be picking up pretty quickly and seemed to be remembering the things that he had worked on with Stephen and Paul.

SMACK!

Stephen couldn't help but seize up a little as he watched Cody slam the smaller boy face-first into the mat.

"This isn't going to help anything."

Stephen turned quickly, alarmed to hear a voice behind him. Paul was wiping sweat from his forehead with a small, black towel.

"Ya scared da shit outta me there, fella."

"Sorry. I waited for awhile but thought you may have gotten lost in this maze of a building."

"No, sorry, I got distracted."

"I see that…"

"Paul, I tink I messed up."

"Really, ya think? You really fucked up…but, look. We all do. You think I never pissed Steph off? Shit, I still do it on a weekly basis. Sometimes things get said and girls…and, um, I guess guys too, take it worse than we expected. Just give him some time. Then say you're sorry and try to work through it."

"I wanted to talk to him before da show tonight…"

"Eh, I don't know if that's a good idea. If it goes badly, you run the risk of both of you being too emotional to perform at your best."

"I guess that's true. But I need to give him some of the stuff he left in the hotel."

"Yeah, I'm actually supposed to get that stuff from you. He's not ready to see you. Again, just give him time."

"When am I supposed to know when it's okay?"

"Just wait until it feels rights. Now, let's go get that workout in and we can get lunch afterwards."

* * *

Stephen paced back and forth at the entrace to the stage. His match was coming up soon. It was to be a tag match with him teamed up Triple H against Randy Orton and the Big Show. That's the beauty of house shows; the card doesn't have to make that much sense. It's also worth noting that the drama involved with pairing up enemies and making them work toward a common goal has been a fan-favorite novelty for ages. The Big Show was the first to join Stephen at the prep area, followed shortly by Orton. While Orton was busy taping up his wrists and fingers, Big Show was being his usual chatty self. Stephen found him to be quite a funny guy, at least when he wasn't feeling to preoccupied. He was trying to keep his mind focused on the match, but he couldn't pull his thoughts away from Ryan. It had been almost 24 hours since they last saw each other eye-to-eye. Finally Paul showed up, but no Ryan.

It was getting dangerously close to showtime. Dolph Ziggler and Christian came through the curtained opening. They wished the others good luck before continuing to the locker room. Suddenly, Big Show's music hit and he was off. Where was Ryan? Just as Orton's theme was starting up, Ryan turned the corner of the hallway and sprinted up to Stephen and Paul. He was dressed in a pair of tight, darkwash jeans and a black t-shirt with a dark purple and green logo. He was busy pulling on a black leather jacket as he caught his breath.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. The hair woman was fussing over the fact that one half of my hair was wavier than the other today," the small one uttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Looks good…"

Stephen hadn't meant to say that out loud. It just kind of happened. Ryan briefly glanced his way with a sort of awkward, restrained smile, as though he was responding despite himself. The Celt would have taken the opportunity to try and further break the ice, but his music was starting. Once Stephen was gone, Paul placed an arm around Ryan's shoulder.

"You doing okay?

"Yeah…"

"Keeping your head in the match?"

"Yes…"

"Good. I love ya, little bro," Paul squeezed a little tighter and laid a soft kiss on Ryan's forehead.

Paul really was like a big brother to Ryan. He always seemed to know just what to say and what to do to calm the young man down.

"IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME…"

That cue always got the adrenaline running in those two. Through the curtain they went and it was time once again to play the game.

* * *

After recent events, it seemed almost weird to be back at ringside. But this was Ryan's comfort zone. All he had to do was react to the match and trash talk his opponents. He had this…after all, that's a good part of the acting profession these days. The match was back-and-forth. In fact, it was almost ridiculous. You know, one of those matches that made you face palm every time the momentum changed hands.

No one but Ryan and Stephen knew the odd gymnastic duet going on between heart and stomach. Had Ryan not been in front of about 2,500 people, he probably would have thrown up. But he was being a professional and the audience was none-the-wiser. From a technical standpoint, everything was going well. Moves were executed flawlessly and things were going to plan. However, it was toward the point where the match was supposed to end. Orton was set up for the Brogue Kick.

"Aaaaahhhh!" the Great White gave his battle cry before springing into action.

At this point, the move usually flies on autopilot, but tonight something was just a hair off. The move didn't connect. No one had ever seen this before, at least not when it wasn't supposed to happen. Sheamus staggered and fell to the mat. Suddenly the improv kicked him and Randy went to work.

The younger Helmsley brother beat on the apron of the ring and shouted, "Goddammit, Sheamus! Get your shit together!"

Stephen knew that it was really Zac speaking, but in his head he just heard Ryan shouting those words at him. Then the conversation began to come back. He did his best to shake the unwelcome thoughts and went back to Orton. This time he flubbed an Irish Whip, tripping over his own legs and sending Orton chest first into the ropes. Randy, just slumped over the top rope, hoping Sheamus would recover quickly and finish him off. Stephen was starting to get frustrated. Thinking on his feet, Zac grabbed a hold of the ropes and swung his body upward, delivering a combat boot to the underside of the Viper's chin. Orton staggered back and Sheamus caught him in a rolling clutch pin.

1…2…3…DING!

It was over and not a moment too soon as far as any of the performers were concerned. The crowd was still eating it up though. The Helmsley's exited in the normal smug way with Zac playing up the fact that he "saved the day." Sheamus followed, displaying hurt pride. Less of this was feigned than the audience might imagine.

As soon as they were through the curtain, Stephen caught up to Ryan and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Ry, tanks for savin' my arse out dere. I don' know what got inta me."

"No, problem," Ryan paused as he looked for the right thing to say, "I was just doing what I was supposed to do – I was looking out for you…I mean, what was best for the show. I guess _that's _what we're really supposed to be worried about.

With this, Ryan turned and was gone. Stephen remained silent. He couldn't tell if that was a purposeful dig or not. At any rate, he felt like shit. A glass of whiskey and a lot of sleep began to call his name.

* * *

The next week seemed to fly by. With Night of Champions just three weeks away, everyone was in a promotional scramble. It was nonstop interviews, photo shoots, and so on. Neither Ryan nor Stephen had any days off this particular week. Furthermore, their divergent storylines prevented them from even having "work" time together. Unfortunately, this meant they both had to hold on to their feelings. It doesn't take a psychologist to know this isn't good. Hurt emotions are like an open wound. If left untreated, it just festers and gets worse as time wears on.

It wasn't until the following Monday night that their paths crossed again. Ryan was on his way to the ring when he passed Stephen in the hall. He wasn't sure if he should stop and talk or keep on going, but the Celt reached out and grabbed him gently by the arm.

"Ry…I…um, have been wantin' to talk to ya but this weeks been pretty crazy and…I just wanted to say,"

Stephen's words were soft. Ryan tried his best to resist but found himself melting into the Celtic Warrior as he had so many times before. Stephen gently caressed the side of the boy's face preparing to continue when they were interrupted by the footsteps of an approaching Evan Bourne. With this, he jumped back like a child caught doing something he knew was wrong.

"I jus wanted to say good luck…you'll do great out there…" the tone was completely different.

Ryan's mood came crashing down real fast after a build up like that. All he could do was crack a half grin.

"Thanks," he didn't even make eye contact, "I'd better get going."

Once again the boy was out of sight and the Irishman was cursing himself for screwing it up.

"Maybe it's just best if I let him go," Stephen thought to himself, "I just going to keep hurting him."

* * *

It was yet another busy week. Days were beginning to blur together. How long had it been since the two of them talked? Three days? Four?

Stephen laid in his bed at home for the first time in over a week. A street lamp outside his window cast a dull blue tint over the room. He stared into space with his mind doing laps around itself. The apartment was completely silent except for the low roar of the air conditioner. He suddenly realized how empty his king sized bed seemed when he was all alone in it.

He tossed and he turned, but try as he might, he couldn't get to sleep. 12:37. 1:13. 2:53. He was losing the night quickly. Not exactly how he wanted to spend his only night off. With a groan, he rolled over and buried his face into the crack between his two sets of pillows, a trick he had used for sleeping since he was a teenager. It was nice a cool, but something seemed different. He smelled a familiar yet misplaced scent. Where the rest of his bed and pillows had the faded smell of laundry detergent, something smelled richer. He sniffed around until he located a pillow at the bottom of the pile. That is where the smell was coming from. He thought for a second then took a deep sniff.

"What is this? I know…but I can't…" he thought to himself.

He kept racking his brain until the scent memory came back to him.: Ryan's shampoo. This must have been the pillow that Ryan used most when he stayed over. The things he wouldn't give to have those times back. The large man closed his eyes and snuggled the small pillow into himself, breathing deeply he pretended that he held Ryan in his arms and finally began to drift to sleep.

* * *

A thousand miles away, Ryan was lying in bed, spooning his body pillow. The room was illuminated by the glaring screen of his iPhone. Every couple of minutes, he'd press the home screen button just to be sure he hadn't missed a text. He had spent most the night with Nicole, but ended up heading to bed early. This was his normal way of escaping human contact to be alone with his thoughts…and sad showtunes.

The boy continued to stare at his phone. He wondered what Stephen was doing. Was he in bed too? Was he out at a bar? Did he even stop to think about the recent events? Ryan just wanted to talk to him, but he wouldn't allow it. Unfortunately, he had a self-destructive way of dealing with emotional issues such as this. No matter what Nicole told him, Ryan refused to abandon the old silent treatment that he liked to use. He had the policy that, as a very talkative individual, his silence was the quickest way to let someone know he was upset. He never really took into account that if things aren't said, things can't be fixed.

"I'll wait for him to make the first move…" he thought.

Had this method worked in the past? Yes…but not often enough to justify stubborn reliance.

Ryan's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his door creaking open. He lifted his head quickly in alarm. He saw no one from the faint glow of the nightlight in the hall, but as he lowered his head back down he recognized a small familiar shape making its way toward his bed. Soon a gray cat leapt up onto the bed and lied down in the space beside Ryan.

"Hey, Shakespeare."

"Meow."

"Yeah, I know, I know. You're the one constant male influence in my life."

The cat nuzzled up next to his human and began to purr himself to sleep.

"Some days I think this is the healthiest relationship I've ever had…"

Ryan shook his head, cozied up with his pillow and cat, and closed his eyes.


	15. Chapter 15: Shameful Thing

It was Monday once again. Night of Champions madness was in full swing. Stephen was in his locker room getting ready for the night's show. He was slated for a preview match against reigning champion John Cena. This was one of his last chances before the big night to prove that he deserved that title.

Just as he was adjusting his kneepads, he heard a light knock on the door. He sprung up. Ryan! Maybe. He hoped. He walked casually yet quickly to the door and flung it open. His face fell as he realized it was just Evan Bourne.

"Oh, hi," Stephen spoke with little enthusiasm.

"Hey, big guy. How's it going?" Evan replied with an odd amount of exuberance.

"Uh, not too bad…just been an interesting few weeks…."

"Yeah, I noticed," Evan cut in. "I know we don't talk that often but you've been looking pretty down lately."

Evan stepped into the room without invitation, allowing the door to shut behind him. The redhead went back to his chair where he was before and fiddled with his kneepads some more. The smaller man stepped up and laid a hand on a large, white shoulder.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Uh," Stephen was a bit taken aback and on the verge of annoyed, "no, not really. I don' feel like talkin' bout it."

"Sure, sure," Evan replied in a casual tone, "but if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

With this, Evan pushed his face into Stephen's, kissing him full on the bottom lip. It was a full moment before the Celt knew what was happening. He pulled himself back quickly as soon as he had the faculties to move.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on dere, fella. What in the hell was 'at?"

"Sorry, I just thought…"

"Tought what? Listen, I'm not like dat!"

"Oh, sorry," Evan stayed silent for a minute, "Look, I didn't mean to make this uncomfortable. Let's just forget that happened, okay?"

Stephen thought for a second and spoke, "Sure, whatever. Sorry, I don' mean to cut tis short, but I gotta get ready for me match."

"Oh, sure," Evan replied, backing out the door as Stephen held it open.

Ryan walked passed the door just as Evan caught Stephen in a tight embrace.

"Like I said: If you ever need anything, I'm here for you," Evan whispered just loud enough for the man in the hallway to hear.

He turned to walk away and, unseen to Stephen, gave Ryan a snarky wink. As Bourne continued down the hall, the Irishman leaned up in the doorframe. He flashed his normally adorable smile at Ryan; however, given the context of the current situation, it read as snarky and secretive.

"So, how are you, fella?"

"I'm just fine," Ryan replied in an icy tone as he fastened his leather gloves and continued on his way down the hall.

The rookie was ready to get in the ring. He had a lot of steam to blow off – he just needed to channel it into his work. His opponent tonight was none other than Evan Bourne. So, it seemed like the perfect target.

Bourne was waiting when Ryan arrived at the end of the hall.

"Good luck out there," Bourne whispered while delivering a condescending smack on his opponent's ass.

Ryan gritted his teeth and continued through the curtain as his music blasted. He made his way to the ring amidst the cheers and jeers of the crowd. Most of the audience responded positively to Zac as a singles competitor; however, there were a few who disliked the idea of a rookie moving through the ranks so quickly. Fans with such an opinion are probably the same ones who were under the delusion that Ryan and Paul were _actually_ related in some way. Once he got to the ring, he took a strong, proud pose in the center of the ring.

His moment in the spotlight was soon over as Evan Bourne's music hit and he made his entrance. Zac stood center, not taking his eyes off his opponent. The target was acquired. The younger man was fueled by his emotions but kept his focus tight, not wanting to flub his second on-air singles match. When Evan entered the ring, he stood strong in the center until the ref motioned for him to take a corner. The bell rang and it was go time.

The two men circled each other like wild animals preparing for a turf fight before Evan made the first move, lunging for Zac's legs; however, the target sprung out of the way before the move could connect. This became a repeating pattern. Two acrobatic cruiserweights squaring off is quite a bit like watching two agile kittens go at. Nothing really gets accomplished.

Finally, Zac connected with toe kick Evan's chest. Evan stumbled to his knees, allowing Zac to throw in a solid dropkick. Off the ropes the Helmsley boy went and into handspring splash. Due to his somewhat petite stature, Zac's arsenal relied heavily on kicks and high-flying moves.

As planned, Zac had control of the match early on but soon it changed gears as Evan got the upper hand and began a beat down. Maybe it's just because he was new to this, but Zac felt as though Evan was connecting a little harder than necessary. He was definitely hitting a lot harder than Cody or Stephen, or anyone else he's squared off against. Zac didn't have much time to think before – SLAM

The boy was snapped back to reality by a thunderous powerbomb followed by a pin.

1…

"Damn, you sure taking a pounding well," Evan whispered in Zac's ear.

2…

Zac powered out of the pin and caught Evan across the face with a great slap. He went for another but the move was telegraphed and he was sent hurdling into the turnbuckle. The more experienced one charge, but Zac was able to hoist himself up and lock his legs around his assailant's neck.

"Stephen must be one hell of a teacher," Evan uttered through clenched teeth.

Zac took him down with a lightning huricarana. He was starting to get a bit rougher with the move delivery himself.

Evan raised himself back to his feet with a chuckle, "I'll have to convince him to train me just like he did you."

Everything suddenly turned red. The cheering of the crowd was muffled. All Zac could hear was the pounding of his heart, seemingly in his head. He was supposed to take his opponent down for the count with a spinning heel kick followed by a moonsault-pin combo but he just snapped. Zac turned and without warning charged Evan with all his might, releasing an anguished battle cry in the process. The two men crashed to the ground with sickening spear. That's when the wailing began. There was no technique, no method, just madness.

The ref allowed it for a moment, and then, sensing something was off, pulled Zac off of his victim. Zac raised his hands to indicate that he was cooling off. Slowly, Evan started to get back to his feet.

"What the fu-"

Before he could even finish the phrase, Zac had bounded back across the ring and grabbed him by the hair, planting his face into the mat with a sloppy, modified version of the bulldog. He then went to work beating Evan's head with great range and even grinding it into the mat with all his weight.

It finally occurred to Ryan that he was having a break down. Zac wasn't wrestling Evan…Ryan was actually beating the living shit out of him. Thinking quickly, he rolled Evan over and went for the pin.

1…2…3.

Evan dared not kick out for fear the assault would continue. Zac quickly rolled from the ring and made his way to the back. Somehow he managed to maintain character whole time.

* * *

Ryan was halfway down the hall when Bourne caught up to him.

"What the fuck was that out there?!"

"Leave me alone," Ryan grumbled.

"No, no, O'Hailin. What were you doing?"

"I said, 'don't fuck with me!'" it was almost a growl now.

Ryan could feel the rage building; he attempted to remove himself from the situation. But then Evan made a big mistake. He picked up a cup of coffee from the nearby table and launched it at the back of Ryan's head.

"I'M TALKING TO YOU, BITCH!"

The coffee plashed across Ryan's head and neck, and dripped down his back. It was on again. Before Evan even knew it, he was sprawled out on a table, mounted by Ryan who was beating him with whatever he could get his hands on. Bourne was able to push Ryan off and then proceeded to slam the boy's face into the Coke machine. Ryan retaliated with an elbow to the stomach and a knee to the nose. The fight escalated into, quite frankly, a fucking mess. Staff and talent gathered around but nobody really did anything. Well, except for that cameraman who decided to the tape the whole damn thing "just in case."

The commotion finally caught the attention of Paul who was making his way to the locker room from Stephanie's office. Seeing the bout, he quickly pushed his way through the crowd.

"Hey! Hey! HEY!"

Paul's shouts were unheeded. He was hesitant to get in the middle of it all until Ryan picked up the half-full coffee pot with the clear intention of smashing it over Evan's head. Paul rushed forward and wrestled it out of the boy's hand.

"Ryan! Give it to me!"

He managed to get the coffee pot but not the boy. Ryan made another leap, but Paul caught him with one arm. Setting the coffee pot down, he carried the boy kicking and screaming through the crowd.

"Stop it! Ryan! Stop! It's over."

He shook the little one and took his face in his hands. Ryan really was a pitiful sight to behold. He had a split lip, several abrasions, and a solid stream of blood trickling down from a gash in his brow. In this moment of eye contact, everything came back to Ryan and he realized what had just happened. For a moment he tried to speak, but ultimately succumbed to sobbing.

"Alright, everyone. Get back to what you were doing," Paul ordered the crowd before looking back to the bloody mess that was Evan Bourne. "And somebody get him a medic."

Paul took his friend into his arms and hugged him close. He brushed his hair back with his hand.

"Shh," he said soothingly, "don't say anything. Just come with me."

Still holding him, the two walked down the hall. After a little ways, they crossed paths with Stephen who was unaware of the goings on in the snack area. As soon as he saw the bloody Ryan, he became greatly concerned.

"Oh, God, what hap…" the Irishman began.

"Where the hell were you?!" Paul demanded.

"I was outside on me phone…Let me help…"

"No, it's fine. I've got him. Just go on," Paul was short and forceful with his words.

Stephen stood for a moment and watched the two walk off. He felt awful seeing Ryan in that way. And Paul's words just made him feel worse.

"He's right. I shoulda been there," he thought.

* * *

Outside the arena, Ryan sat on the edge of a loading dock. He was still a quivering, sobbing mess. A mix of sweat, tears, and blood soaked him all over, but Paul didn't think it was the best idea to put him the shower yet. The protective "older brother" sat right behind him, rubbing his back. Suddenly the sobs gave way to vomiting. Paul held back the boy's hair and told him to just let it out so he'd feel better.

"I'm sorry…"

"Ryan, don't…"

"I fucked up," the boy stammered through his tears, "I don't belong here."

"Right now being outside is the best pla…"

"No, I don't belong _here_. If I can't handle my emotions, how am I supposed to do this? Fuck. I'm probably going to get fired anyway."

"Listen, don't worry about the job right now. Don't give a damn about what anyone in there thinks. Just worry about getting yourself back together. All I care about right now is you."

Paul carefully pulled the boy in for a semi-hug, avoiding the mess of bodily fluids.

They stayed like that for a moment until the loading door opened, revealing Cody Rhodes.

"Hey," he said gently, "I don't want to interrupt, but I thought he might need a bottle of water or something."

Paul gestured for Cody to come on out. The new arriver walked to the spot where the two men sat. He knelt down and handed the bottle to Ryan, who took it with a grateful nod.

"You doin' okay, buddy?" Cody asked, lightly rubbing his hand along the boy's back.

"Yeah…thanks…" Ryan's speech was finally becoming clear again and the violent shaking had subsided.

Paul began to rise, "Well, we'd better get you cleaned up and into bed."

"Paul, I can take him back to the hotel. I'm done for the night," Cody offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we're bunking up this week anyway, it's no problem."

"Let's go, Ry."

Cody extended a hand and helped Ryan to his feet.

"Goodnight, Paul," Ryan gave a slight smile in his direction, "Thank you."

Little did any of them know, Stephen had been watching this all from a distance. He felt so bad that he couldn't be there to help.

"That's my job…I'm supposed to take care of Ryan. I'm supposed to hold him. It's my job, Cody….not yours…"


	16. Chapter 16: Suspension

Ryan sat in Stephanie's office the day after his major meltdown. It felt almost the same as being sent to the principal's office in school; however, he was a little more at ease with Steph, as he considered a good friend. Still, he knew there were going to be consequences for his actions. Suspension? Fines? Termination?

When Stephanie entered the room, the two remained silent for a moment. Finally, Ryan decided to bite the bullet and speak up:

"So, I…"

"You went a little postal…"

"I'm sorry. I know that I really messed up. My outburst was uncalled for and could reflect poorly on the company…and…"

"And if there is one thing my dad loves, it's good television. And that was good television. The fans ate all of that up. Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, - they were all blowing up over that match. Something about seeing so much rage come from such a small guy really sparked an interest in the viewers."

"Wait, so you guys see this as a good thing?"

"Yeah, actually, we kind of do. You know, shit happens…and sometimes that shit works out in our favor. Your explosion sparked some extra ratings and got us some great word of mouth. Hell, we even got lucky enough that a cameraman was just wrapping up an interview backstage and caught the whole brawl. After a little bit of editing we posted it on this morning and the views are through the roof. It was a happy accident, I say."

"So, let me get this straight," Ryan started, "I'm not in any kind of trouble? I mean, I really fucked Evan up last night and I broke a lot of shit."

"Well, we do have to take some disciplinary action. We are going to dock your pay to cover the damages and clean up. Also, we are going to suspend you without pay for the rest of the week."

"That's pretty fair. I was expecting a lot worse…"

"You really think you and Evan are the first two superstars to actually get into it backstage?" Steph inquired with a smile before turning a bit more serious, "Besides, Cody came to me this morning on your behalf. He told me the shit Evan was trying to pull during the match. He was instigating and, to tell you the truth, I probably would have done the same thing."

"Oh," Ryan felt a little embarrassed; getting upset over a guy probably didn't reflect too well.

"Look," Steph said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I understand what you're going through. Paul and I had some really rough times trying to get our relationship and our careers going at the same time. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. I hope it works out for you. Really."

"Thanks, Steph," Ryan was quite moved by her tenderness. He knew that she was truly a friend. The two embraced before Stephanie excused herself to attend a midday production meeting.

* * *

Ryan stepped out of the building into the blinding midday sun. He rifled through his shoulder bag, looking for his sunglasses. Once he had found them and put them on, he began to walk across the parking lot to a busy city street. About halfway through the lot, he heard a voice calling to him.

"Hey, Ryan, wait up!"

He turned to see Cody getting out of his car a few yards away. He tried to crack a smile to acknowledge the arrival of his friend but quickly scratched that idea as he realized his busted lip was far from being healed.

"How are you doing? I mean, how did the meeting with Stephanie go?" Cody asked, now standing close by.

"It went better than I expected, actually," the boy replied, readjusting the bag on his shoulder.

"That's good. So, where are you off to?"

"The airport, I guess. I'm going home for a couple of days."

"Oh," Cody squinted in the sunlight, "is everything okay or…?"

"Yeah, yeah. Stephanie asked me to take a few days off. I'll be back Monday," Ryan explained not wanting to disclose the whole truth. Then he added, "I think it's probably the best thing right now. I could really use the time to clear my head."

"Maybe. But I'm glad things turned out alright…Well, I'd better get inside and get down to business," Cody said before turning to walk away.

"Hey," Ryan called his attention back, "thanks…for speaking up for me…and for taking care of me last night."

"No problem, Ryan. I'm just looking out for you. It's what friends do."

"I really appreciate it."

Cody smiled and pulled Ryan in for tight hug.

"Ow, bruises," Ryan winced.

"Sorry!" Cody exclaimed, loosening up a bit.

The two shared a brief laugh at the moment.

"I'll see you Monday," said Ryan.

"Okay. Just do me a favor, send me a text or something when you get back to Indiana so that I know you got home alright."

"Okay, will do," Ryan agreed.

The two hugged again briefly before Ryan continued to the street to hail a cab and Cody headed on to the building.

A few feet away, Stephen sat inside his car. Having just pulled up, he witness the last few moment's of the conversation. He gripped the wheel tightly. He couldn't believe Ryan moved on to another man so quickly. The fiery redhead suddenly felt jealous, immensely jealous. At the same time, it hurt because he felt like he deserved it. For the first time in a while, he was completely honest with himself:

"I don't know what the fuck I'm doing…"

* * *

The late summer weather was mild in Indiana. The sun shone brightly, yet there was a nice breeze. Cardinals could be heard chipping in the trees and the familiar sound of corn rustling in the wind came from all directions. There was also a distinct smell of farmland and burning wind.

Ryan approached the backdoor of his house. Something about it seemed weird. It seemed like forever since he'd last been there…or maybe it was that it felt like home for the first time in a while. He fumbled for his key and began to unlock the door. He could hear a loud ruckus coming from the living room within. He also heard a familiar voice.

"Choke slam! Choke slam!"

Now a second familiar voice:

"Oh, the carnage!"

The boy finally opened the door and stepped in to see his two brothers playing the latest WWE video game on Xbox. They were being loud and obnoxious, jumping up and down and screaming at the TV. Of course this is expected of two little, prepubescent brothers. But that was the problem. Ryan's brothers were older – 25 and 27.

"Oh, look! Shorty's home!" cried Craig as he paused the game and leapt off the couch to catch his baby brother is a bear hug.

The oldest of the O'Hailin kids, Craig stood 6'3" with a lean, muscular body. David, however, was the largest, standing an imposing 6'4" with the build of a linebacker. He soon joined his brothers in a group hug. Sandwiched between the two athletic men, it became quite apparent how the 5'11" Ryan got his family nickname of "Shorty." It also begged the question: how did he end up as the one working in sports entertainment?

"What the hell are you doing here?" David asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ryan replied, "Don't you have your own place…with a wife?"

"Yeah," David began returning to his game, "But I don't think she likes me that much."

"Can ya blame her?" Craig added.

Ryan rolled his eyes and began to walk out of the room.

"Wait! Wait!" David called, "Who am I?"

The large man called his brother's attention back to the TV screen where his created Superstar was smashing Evan Bourne's face into a turnbuckle.

"You're the reason I'm back here," Ryan replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, shit," Craig exclaimed, not taking his eyes of the TV. "You didn't get fired, did you?"

"No," Ryan explained, "just suspended…like you two when you turned the cow loose on the second floor of the high school."

The two older brothers began laughing.

"That was a good prank!" Craig declared.

"Alright!" David shouted instigating a high five.

"Aren't you two supposed to be adults?" Ryan inquired with a smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be an actor?" David called back.

"Touché," the younger one sighed. "So where is everybody else?"

"Mom's over at Grandpa's helping him out with housework and Marie is at work," David explained.

"Ah," the boy acknowledged, "Well, I think I'm gonna go take a nap or something."

"Ooooorrrr you could come get pizza with us," Craig suggested.

"Eh, I think I'm gonna pass…"

"…pizza…" David whispered.

"…Pizza…" Craig added just a little louder.

"Pizza!" they said together as they got to their feet.

"Ah, shit," Ryan had been the baby brother long enough to know where this is going.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" the older boys chanted as they grabbed their little brother and picked him up.

"Ow! Bruises! Stop!"

They ignored his cries and made for the door. There was no getting out of the pizza run now. Cry and protest as he might, inside, Ryan was very happy to be home and back in the middle of brotherly shenanigans.

At the end of the night, Ryan staggered into his bedroom and collapsed into his bed still fully clothed. The trip for pizza turned into an O'Hailin all-nighter. After dinner, the brothers hit up the mall followed by a late showing at the movie theater, where, as the only audience members, they talked back to the screen quite loudly and made inappropriate comments throughout. The end of the night found them back home taking shots out of their brightly colored Ninja Turtle shot glasses, while watching the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on Netflix. By the time they decided to call it a night, the sun was peaking over the horizon.

"It's been a pretty great day after all," Ryan thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Slowly but surely, the last day of Ryan's "vacation" rolled around. It was 5:00 on Sunday evening when he heard a light knock on the door. He was busy packing, so he didn't even bother turning around to acknowledge the interruption.

"Yeah?" he called.

The door creaked open and Craig poked his head into the doorway in a humorous manner.

"Well, helloooooo."

"Hey," Ryan replied with little ethusiasm.

"Mom told me you've been up here all day. You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be," the younger brother sighed.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" there was a sense of understanding and sympathy in the man's voice.

"Yeah," Ryan knew there was no hiding his feelings from one of the people who has been with him since Day 1 in his life.

"Don't worry about it, Charlie B."

Ryan didn't mean to but he laughed just a little at the sound of his old nickname.

"God, you haven't called me that since I was like 16."

"Well, it's a name I pull out when you need it and you haven't really needed it in a while. You've been really strong the past few years. You've grown like, like damn. But now I can tell you need your big brother…you need your Snoopy."

Ryan sat down on the bed. He had no words to refute this fact. Hell, he was getting choked up…he was almost embarrassed.

"Look," Craig continued, "I'm your big brother. I'm here for you no matter what. So is David. When the going get's rough, we will always be here to support you and back you up – even when you're 80. So, if you need us to break this albino mother fucker's knees with a baseball bat, we'll do it. Were' obligated. But, I think what you need to do right now is take care of you. Ignore him. Do what you do. Go out there and entertain that crowd. Okay?"

The small boy laughed a bit and shook his head. Craig always knew how to intertwine a good, brotherly talk with sufficient humor.

"I think I got it…Thanks…"

Sitting down on the bed, Craig embraced his brother.

"I love you, baby bro."

"I love you too."

With this, Ryan rose and threw the last of his things in his bag.

"Well, I guess I'd better head toward the airport," Ryan sighed.

"Be careful out there," Craig said with a slight pat on the smaller one's back.

"Will do. Thanks again. And give David a hug for me."

"Gross. I'm not hugging him!" Craig exclaimed with an exaggerated look of mock discuss.

"Ryan, let's get a move on!" their mom called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Ryan called as he grabbed the bag and made for the stairs.

Back to the grind.


	17. Chapter 17: Back in the Game

"Excuse me, are you Zac Helmsley?"

Ryan jolted awake at hearing a voice next to him.

"N…um, yeah," he replied in a groggy voice.

He examined the 14-year-old girl sitting next to him in what was an empty seat when he dozed off. She wore a CM Punk t-shirt and a WWE rubber bracelet. This all seemed to clash with her bleach blonde hair and glittery makeup.

"Omigod, awesome! See, I thought so but my friend back there didn't," the girl exclaimed enthusiastically while gesturing to an almost identical looking girl a few rows back on the plane.

"Ah," Ryan nodded. He didn't know what else to say.

"I can't believe you're on our plane. We're going to Raw tomorrow night. I really wanted to go to Night of Champions, but my parents wouldn't pay that much for tickets. Still I'm really excited."

"It's always nice to meet enthusiastic fans," he was sounding more cordial now that he was becoming more awake.

"So, could I ask a big favor?" she suddenly blurted out.

"Um, I guess so," Ryan chuckled finding her awkwardness a bit endearing.

"Would you sign this for me?" the girl asked while thrusting a magazine toward him.

"This is the SkyMiles catalogue…"

"I know. Just don't have anything else to sign," she explained. "See, I'm saving this shirt for Punk to sign. But if you sign this, I'll always have a memory of flying on a plane with a WWE superstar!"

"Alrighty, then. I guess I can't argue with that!"

"Make it out to Kim," she instructed as Ryan fumbled for a pen in his bag.

"To Kim," he spoke aloud as he wrote, "Thanks for the enthusiasm. Pleasant travels and enjoy the show. I hope to see you in the future. The Gravity Defier, Zac Helmsley."

Just as Ryan was concluding his autograph, the captain came over the speaker with his pre-landing speech.

"Well, you'd probably get back to your seat," Ryan said as he handed the magazine back to Kim.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks!" Kim squealed enthusiastically and suddenly lunged at Ryan for a big, glomping fangirl hug before bouncing away back to her seat.

Before too long, the plane was on the ground in Pittsburgh. Ryan gathered up his belongings and exited the plane. He tried to remain incognito as best he could. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and put on his sunglasses. It worked for the most part, but he still got noticed and asked for a photo or autograph every couple of minutes.

Ryan stood at the baggage claim waiting for his luggage. Every few minutes he'd see another superstar or two wonder by. In most cases, they'd acknowledge each other briefly before continuing on but some walked right on by without noticing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ryan spotted his green duffle bag and rolling suitcase. He grabbed the duffle bag and slung it over one shoulder, then he began to reach for the suitcase but it was intercepted.

"Allow a gentleman to help you."

Ryan allowed his eyes to wonder up the arm to a smiling Cody. There was no use trying to refute the fact. Cody was pretty adorable. His slacker chic clothing suited his youthful personality well. He wore a comic Thor t-shirt, ratty old jeans, and a pair of dirty Chucks. A large pair of headphones rested around his neck.

"Thank you," Ryan smiled back.

"The pleasure is all mine," Cody replied as he hoisted the large suitcase onto a baggage cart already containing his belongings.

Ryan loaded his duffle bag and carry on items onto the cart. He had to carefully readjust the cargo so that it didn't topple off.

"Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the hotel," Cody asked with a goofy bow.

"Certainly, good sir," Ryan replied with a cordial nod.

"Your chariot awaits," replied Cody with a gesture toward the baggage cart.

Ryan just laughed and shook his head. Cody gestured again, assuring the boy that he was serious. Again, Ryan's body language read, "no way." Rhodes just shrugged in a dismissing manner before grabbing Ryan and setting him up on top of the baggage. Ryan couldn't help but giggle. There was no denying the fact that it was fun.

Cody pushed the cart through the automatic doors out onto the sidewalk. They began to travel in the direction of the rental car pickup. That's when they spotted the hoard of fans that had staked out the airport in hopes of glimpsing their favorite superstars.

"Hold on," Cody whispered.

With this, the man began to run as quickly as he could push the cart. Now the ride had turned into that scary kind of fun – the kind where your heart pounds and the adrenaline pumps like wild and you laugh because it's the only way to stay relatively calm. Ryan gripped the bags tightly.

"Beep! Beep! Comin' through!" Cody shouted as he whipped through the crowd.

Soon, the two were beyond most of the crowd and cutting around their own kind.

"Move it or lose it!" he yelled as they broke between Paul and Stephen.

"Hey, speed kills!" Paul called after the run away cart.

It wasn't long before the two reached the rental car parked in the garage. By now Cody was completely out of breath, which was only worsened by his excessive laughter. He fell to the ground, alternating between chuckles and gasps for breath. Ryan slid off the cart, nearly falling himself. He was laughing so hard he was beginning to cry. He helped Cody to his feet, but the two had to support each other in their laughter to remain upright.

"Okay, okay," Ryan stammered as he started to regain his composure. "It's time for game face! We are serious entertainers and athletes."

There was a brief silence before the two broke out laughing again.

* * *

Ryan strolled through the lobby of the hotel early Monday morning sipping his coffe from his steel travel mug. He wanted to get to the arena early and get back into the swing of things. He was pretty excited to be getting back to work. Also, he wanted to check in with creative to check up on his role in this evening's show.

Just as he was about to walk out the door, he crossed paths with Paul and Stephen, who had just wrapped up a workout in the hotel fitness center.

"Hey," Paul began as he motioned for Ryan to stop, "Are you heading over to the arena?"

"Yeah, actually," the boy replied.

"When you get there, Steph wants to see you in her office about tonight's show."

"Alright, I'll be sure to hit her up as soon as I get there. See you later."

"Later, bro."

The two parties were about to break off when Ryan added:

"See ya, Stephen."

"See ya, fella."

* * *

When Ryan stepped into Stephanie's office, he was greatly surprised to see another figure behind the desk – Mr. McMahon. This was his first face-to-face meeting with the big boss himself. Ryan wasn't sure whether to bow and exalt or just introduce himself.

"Ah, Ryan," the voice behind the desk boomed, "it's nice to finally meet you in person."

"It's an honor, Mr. McMahon," Ryan spoke trying to maintain his normal confidence.

"I don't want to waste much time here - You know, I strongly believe that everyone in this company must pay their dues and earn their spot. This can often take months, years…hell, even decades!"

"Yes, sir," Ryan nodded.

"But," the boss continued, "I also believe in giving the audience what they want. Sometimes a new superstar comes along and makes an impression fast. You're not like any of the other superstars, you know that right?"

Ryan's mind suddenly shot back the anxiety Stephen had expressed. "Is this about my sexuality?" Ryan wondered. He spoke simply, "Yes, I would have to agree."

"There's something about you that sets you apart. You represent a part of our audience that doesn't get represented very often. People are relating to you and because of this, they want to see you. So I'm going to show you to them. I'm going to give you a push. How would you feel about representing others like you by wearing a title belt around your waist?"

"Mr. McMahon, I don't know if…" Ryan stammered.

"Now, I'm not talking anything big like World Heavyweight or WWE champ," Mr. McMahon asserted, "but I think you could be an interesting and worthy Intercontinental Champion. What do you say?"

"I'd be honored," the boy scrambled for words, "I greatly appreciate the fact that you'd even consider me. I'd definitely work very hard to meet your standards."

"Well, work hard fast," Mr. McMahon instructed sternly, "because it all begins tonight. I'm putting you in a triple threat match for the right to face the champ at the Pay Per View this Sunday."

"Oh, my go…Thank you, sir. I don't know what to say."

"Just say you won't let me down."

"I won't, sir. I promise."

The Triple Threat match for the IC contender spot wasn't until the last quarter of the show but Ryan was dressed and ready to go at the top of the night. He spent most the night trying to get psyched up and prepared for the match mentally. Even though he knew the outcome was predetermined, he knew he had to perform like never before tonight. He had to prove that he was worthy of a title shot, not to mention a reign.

Halfway through the show, Stephanie made the announcement that her brother-in-law, Zac, would be added to the match between Christian and Dolph Ziggler. The announcement was met with mixed reactions, but overall, general excitement won out. Ryan was glad that there was a good crowd out there tonight. If there's one thing he had learned in all his years of live theatre, the energy of the audience makes a world of difference to the performance.

About 10 minutes before he was set to go on, Ryan was ushered to a room filled with video equipment. At first he was unsure of what was going on, and then he realized this is the room where they were filming promos for the event. A few moments later, Paul entered the room.

"Okay, we got Triple H. Get the mic and we'll be ready to roll in just 2 minutes," Ryan heard a random tech guy, presumably the manager, say.

"Um, what's going on?" Ryan asked Paul.

"Vince wants to see your mic skills. If you're going to be a champ, you gotta demonstrate charisma. Think fast," Paul replied.

A sound guy walked up to Ryan with a mic in hand. He flipped the switch on the bottom, tapped it for a quick test, and handed it off.

"Okay, we're live in 3…2…1…"

Ryan's heart pounded; time to put those improv classes to use!

"It's come to my attention that some people are criticizing my involvement into tonight's match to determine the number-one contender for the Intercontinental Title. Apparently some think I don't deserve it, that I haven't earned it. Well, you know what – Who gives a damn? I am a Helmsley. My right to this match, and this title, is in my blood. You see, we're champions in this family and we don't give a shit about what anyone else says or thinks about us. So, get ready WWE. I'm joining the ranks of my brother. I will win this match tonight and come this Sunday at Night of Champions, I _will _be the new Intercontinental Champion whether any of you think I deserve it or not."

Ryan held his last pose with an intense stare at the camera. After a few moments that seemed much longer, the manager made a signal to the cameraman and they went off the air.

Paul smiled and nodded, "Pretty damn good."

"Thanks," Ryan responded as he handed the mic back to the tech guy.

"Alright, let's go get you ready for that match."

Paul accompanied Ryan to the ring. For the first time, he really felt like a WWE Superstar, not just an accessory or background character. The adrenaline was pumping, his heart was pounding, and he couldn't stand still. He bounced in his corner waiting for the bell. Once it rang, everything became a blur. Ryan bounded across the ring with unrivaled energy and agility. Between the kicks, jumps, and highflying moves, there was scarcely a moment both of his feet stayed on the ground. Besides his normal moves, he began to use more technical ones such as variants on the suplex, thundering DDTs, and any other "wow" maneuver he could think of.

Now, he is told the match last almost 15 minutes, but Ryan would swear it was under five. The final bell rang and it was as if he snapped back into his body for the first time since the match began. His hand was raised in victory, first his right by the referee. Then Paul got into the ring and raised his left. The crowd cheered…almost the entire crowd. And they were cheering for him. He felt alive, like a bolt of electricity cutting through him.

He was unbelievably pumped for the week to come. He knew he'd have to work his ass off in the gym and in front of the cameras and with the crowds. It was time to start building up his champion persona. He was ready.

Next stop: Night of Champions.


	18. Chapter 18: Night of Champions

The Night of Champions press conference was jam-packed with media and fans alike. Cameras flashed, film rolled, microphones seemed to protrude from every possible space. It was an almost disorienting experience. Ryan waited backstage for his turn to face the crowd. For the first time, he would be doing this alone. He'd previously only appeared with Paul at press conferences, but now it was time to hold his own as a singles wrestler.

Ryan knew his time was coming up soon. He glanced himself over the in the mirror one last time. The outfit was comprised of boot cut jeans, a plaid dark purple button-up shirt, a leather jacket, and black leather boots. His hair was swept back into a neat ponytail. He wasn't quite sure how to dress. Was he supposed to be Zac or Ryan? He'd assumed Zac, so he dressed as such with Ryan's own flair – the two identies weren't as different as Ryan sometimes believed.

"Next up we have a relatively new Superstar. His face has grown familiar to us over the past several months but his in-ring presence has really taken off in the last couple of week. Tomorrow, he will be making his Night of Champions debut – please welcome Zac Helmsley!"

That's the cue. Time to rock this shit! Ryan parted the curtain and stepped out onto the dais. It was hard to decide what was louder, the fan reactions or the camera shutters. The boy took the mic from the emcee and began to walk to the chair center stage.

"I love you!" a female voice shouted from the crowd.

"Aw," Zac sighed into the mic, "I love you too!"

Sitting down, he finally examined the crowd of reporters before him.

"Wow, this is quite an operation!" he laughed.

"Zac, tomorrow is your in-ring debut as a big ticket WWE event – how do you feel?" one reporter spoke up.

"I'm really excited," Zac smiled, "but I'm not even going to lie, I'm a little nervous. But I'm confident that I will be victorious. I mean, if big brother's track record is anything to go by, we're not a losing family."

Another reporter stepped forward and addressed the stage, "You have one of the quickest turn around times from debut to title shot in the company's history. How do you feel about that? Do you think you've earned it?"

"Again, as a Helmsley, it's just fate. It was going to happen one way or another; why draw it out longer than necessary? In all seriousness though, it's not about the time you put in, it's about the quality of what you bring to the ring. Sure, I've only been wrestling a few weeks, but in that time I've demonstrated my in-ring prowess. Furthermore, I'm one hell of a showman; why not put a belt around my waist?"

"Thank you," the reporter responded, "But tell me, are you single?"

"Please, like I'd have time to date!" Zac chuckled.

The questions went on for about another five minutes before the emcee called for one last question.

"Mr. Helmsley," the reporter began, "You've made a handful of enemies in your short time here. Namely your brother's old rival, Sheamus; and one can't simply forget your grueling brawl with Evan Bourne. Are you afraid they might try to interrupt your match tomorrow night."

"Well," Zac began, looking for just the right words, "I think I beat Bourne's ass enough to sufficiently ensure that he won't cross me again."

"What about Sheamus?" the man continued.

"Eh," the boy attempted to buy sometime, "I'd just prefer not to see him."

"Afraid you might get Brogue Kicked?" the reporter asked in good spirit.

"No," Helmsley replied, "I'm afraid of being blinded. I'd literally prefer not to see his pasty complexion tomorrow night."

The crowd had a good laugh. It was probably best to end on a joke.

"Thank you. Zac Helmsley, everyone – competing tomorrow for the Intercontinental Championship!"

"Thank you!" Zac called to the crowd, making toward the exit.

Just as he was leaving the stage, Ryan caught a glimpse of the redheaded man watching from the wings. The figure dressed in a brown corduroy suit pants and vest combination just smiled and clapped. It made the boy feel good to see the Celt support him. He flashed a brief smile before exiting completely.

Ryan didn't leave right away. He stuck around to watch some of the other interviews, but mostly he was interested in seeing a specific man. Toward the end of the conference, the large redheaded man took the stage. As intimidating as he can be in the ring, Stephen always came across terrifically charming in interviews. In the wings, the boy listened, with his head resting against the wall. Ryan began to wonder why the two of them were keeping such distance. He knew that he had been particularly cold as of late. But why? There was no denying that Stephen charmed the pants off of him…figuratively and literally.

"Da dubya-dubya-E Heavyweight Championship is da most important ting to me. It's all I want. It's all I need…" Stephen's voice drifted back from the stage.

"Oh, yeah. That's why," Ryan thought to himself.

Slowly, the boy sank away from the wings. The thought still stung, but it was softened by the excitement of tomorrow night's event. Ryan slipped out of the conference to go prepare for a day at Fan Axxess.

Ryan spent the rest of the day on Cloud 9. He never could have anticipated the out pour of affection he received from the fans. It was hard to tell who was more excited – the fans or the superstar. The day was spent taking photos, signing autographs, and chatting. After Axxess, a bunch of the superstars went out for dinner and drinks. It was always great to have some "buddy-buddy" time before spending the next day wailing on each other. It was after 1:00 am when Cody and Ryan finally rolled back into their hotel. Ryan barely took the effort to kick his shoes off before crawling up into his bed.

"Hey, man, aren't you going to at least take your clothes off before you crash?" Cody asked sitting on his bed and untying his shoes.

"Nope," Ryan murmured with his face buried in the pillow, "maybe later…sleepy time now, Cody…"

"Okay. Goodnight then."

"Mmm, go the fucking fuck to sleep," Ryan whispered in a light-hearted tone.

It wasn't long before Ryan was out completely. Cody tossed a blanket over the boy, turned off the light, and slipped into his own bed.

* * *

Sunday was a whirlwind of last minute press, rehearsals, and promos. This was the first major event where Ryan was not attached to Paul's side. He felt almost lost. Luckily, he got to spend a small part of the afternoon with Nicole and Stephanie. It was good to be away from the testosterone-laden locker room. The later part of the afternoon was spent with reigning IC champion, Ted DeBiase. Ryan found the man to be surprisingly easy to work with. Ted had a somewhat stern and intimidating appearance, but was very kind and laidback in reality.

Elsewhere in the arena, Stephen was also preparing for the night. While many would find a vigorous workout counterproductive before a big match, Stephen thrived on it. Working out pumped him up mentally and physically. There was absolutely nothing on his mind tonight but the match. That title was finally within his grasp and tonight it was to be his.

Caught up in his thoughts and workout, Stephen lost track of time. He worked out much longer than he had intended to. But on the upside of things, he was running off an endorphin high. He showered quickly to rid himself of the sweat that plagued him. Next he made a quick run to the sandwich shop across the street for dinner. Normally, he'd go for something with more meat for a protein boost, but he wasn't feeling very hungry. He'd never admit it if asked, but he was feeling a great deal of nerves.

Stephen returned to the arena shortly and dressed in his ring gear. For most of the night, he kept to himself in an attempt to remain "in the zone." He watched many of the matches via the monitor in his locker room. Still, his mind was distracted with his match. Match after match passed without much notice. It wasn't until he heard Zac Helmsley's theme that he really noticed what was happening on the televison.

"Bollocks!" he grunted.

He had meant to be there before Ryan went on. He wanted to wish him good luck – show him that he still cared. Rising and exiting the locker room, he quickly made his way to the area just outside of the staging area. He wasn't there when Ryan went out, but he'd be there when he returned.

From the monitor, Stephen observed the match carefully. He noticed that Ryan was doing particularly well. The boy had come a long way since they first started training together. The moves were tighter, crisper, and overall much more technical. Stephen also noticed that Ryan had a knack for high-flying moves. A flawless moonsault was the nail in the coffin of DeBiase's title reign.

After an extended celebration, Ryan finally emerged from the curtain. There were several other superstars waiting to congratulate the new champion. Stephen decided to wait in the back of the crowd and let Ryan bask in his triumph. But he soon noticed the crowd was ushering the young man away. Stephen tried to get Ryan's attention but he only gave a quick glance before disappearing. The redhead thought about pursuing, but his match was coming up soon and it was time to get refocused.

* * *

The World Heavyweight Championship match was long and grueling. Sheamus and John Cena went at each other for almost an hour. Both men were determined to put on the best show they possibly could. From the crowd reaction, it could be gathered that they succeeded. There were several close calls and even a near count out when both men became incapacitated in the center of the ring. The match was finally put to an end when Sheamus delivered a thundering Brogue Kick followed by a Celtic Cross for good measure.

At the sound of the bell, it was some great relief. After a long wait, the belt was finally his again. He held it in his hands and stared at it for a moment. It glinted in the light. The roar of the crowd was muffled by his own heavy panting. Stephen was hot and sweaty but he had a sense of great accomplishment. It had been a long and stressful week; and the Celt was ready to blow of some steam at the after party.

When he returned to the back, Stephen was greeted by several of his colleagues. That's one of the many great things about being in the WWE, it's like a large extended family. Stephen absorbed the affection of his friends. He surveyed the faces. A good majority of the locker room was there. But someone was conspicuously missing. The new Intercontinental Champion.

About an hour after the show wrapped, the superstars reconvened at the bar across the street from the hotel for the after party. There was a company tab, so the drinks flowed freely. Everyone was boozing and having a good time. Some were playing pool, others were taking part in karaoke, and others still were just downing shots like there was no tomorrow. Ryan was taking part in the latter two throughout the night.

The party raged on a good long while and the attendees were all a little worse for wear. Finally, the bartenders announced last call and the party began to wrap up. Stephanie McMahon pulled herself up on the karaoke stage to make a closing announcement:

"I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work and making this such an amazing show. I also want to congratulate all our new champions…and thank our former champs for being such good losers."

There was a chuckle from the crowd on the last bit.

"Well, I think I'm going to get down from here, because I'm a little tipsy and the stage is starting to wobble. So, how about a few closing remarks from our new champ, Step…Shea…big red dude!"

Stephanie staggered off the stage and handed the mic to Stephen who climbed up where she had just stood. He still had his belt around his waist, where it had been all night.

"From drunk ta drunker…um, I'll make this short, fellas. First of all, tanks ta Steph and everyone else who had the faith to put the belt around me waist again. There is nuttin' dat could make me happier tan holdin' dis title in me hands…and, whoo, I tink I might have had one too many pints of Guinness."

As he looked for the words to complete his speech, Stephen allowed his eyes to survey the room. Maybe something would spark that last bit of inspiration. Then he noticed two superstars paying little-to-no attention to his speech. Ryan, hung over Cody's shoulder, whispering something into his ear. Cody nodded and stood up from his stool, took the other by the hand and began to exit the bar.

First Ryan wasn't there to congratulate him after his match and now he was ignoring Stephen's speech. On top of it all, he was leaving with Cody to do God knows what. This snub was too much. Stephen had had it.

"Ya know what, I tink that's all I have ta say right now. Tanks again. Goodnight, everyone."

Stephen put the mic back on the stage and bolted dutifully toward the door. Outside, he found Ryan and Cody standing near the curb and talking. He strolled up next to Ryan and spoke forcefully.

"Can we talk?"

"Uh, dude. We're having a conversation," Cody answered in a slightly slurred voice.

"I'm not talkin' to ya, Cody. Ryan…" the Celt continued.

"What do you need, Stephen?" Ryan was tired and drunk but trying to be nice.

"I need ta talk ta ya in private." Stephen declared.

"Listen, man…" Cody began.

"NO. YOU listen. I need ta talk ta Ryan. So ya shut the fuck up and mind yer own damn business," the fiery Irishman was almost shouting by this time.

"You know what, Cody, it's okay. Just give me a few minutes," Ryan sighed. He wanted to defuse this situation quickly.

Stephen gestured for the boy to follow him. The two walked around to a parking lot around the side of the bar. Ryan crossed his arms in a fashion that clearly said, "I'm listening – what?"

"What the hell was dat?" Stephen began the interrogation.

"What? I was about to ask you the same thing!" Ryan protested.

"You know what I mean. Ya left while I was up there tryin' to give a speech. Not once did ya even congratulate me on me win."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot my world was supposed to revolve around you…as long as nobody knew."

"Stop it…"

"What? You got wanted you wanted – the title…all you ever 'wanted.' All you ever 'needed.'"

"Don't be like dat. You know what I mean," Stephen was almost teary-eyed. Alcohol only served to magnify his emotions.

"Stephen, what do you want from me?" Ryan was on the verge of tears as well, "I just wanted to be with you but that title was more important."

"What I want ta know is what is up with you and Cody?"

"What do you mean? We're just friends." Ryan was moving away from the point of tears. He was beginning to feel somewhat annoyed by the third degree he was receiving.

"Ah," Stephen chuckled in a somewhat accusatory manner, "just friends…"

"What the hell does that mean?" Ryan asked standing up straight with his hands on his hips.

Stephen leaned in closer, "It means: How long is it gonna be before ya start suckin his dick too."

The sentence was barely finished before Ryan slapped Stephen across the face as hard as he could. The Great White's face began to turn beet red. The stinging sensation worked its way across his cheeks. His jaw even ached a bit. He started to realize what he had just said. He wanted to say something else but couldn't find the words.

Ryan could hold back the tears no longer. He couldn't believe Stephen would say that to him. The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Ryan turned and began to walk away quickly. Stephen watched him until he was out of site. He rubbed his jaw. It was a rare moment where Stephen was at a total loss as to what do or say next.


	19. Chapter 19: The Mistake

Ryan leaned against the door. He adjusted the heavy title belt that lay over his shoulder. It felt a little ridiculous to be holding such an object during what he could tell was to be a serious conversation; but what could he do when he was more-or-less cornered by Stephen on his way back to his locker room after a match on RAW?

"Look," Stephen started, barely able to look Ryan in the eye, "I am sorry about last night. I know dat I was totally outta line. What I said ta ya was awful. I was drunk and upset."

"Is that your excuse?" Ryan wasn't really keeping eye contact either.

"Yes, well, no. I know it's not an excuse. I was jealous."

"Jealous of what exactly?"

"You know," Stephen locked eyes this time. "You and Cody. I don't like him messin' around wit ya."

"What does it matter to you," Ryan maintained the eye contact.

"What does it matter? I don't like him messin' around with what's mine!"

"Excuse me?"

"Okay, dat sounded bad…"

"No, no, no. Let me get this straight: You're not my boyfriend…but I'm your property?"

"No," he broke the eye contact again, "That's not what I meant. Ryan, I miss you. I feel like you should be with me and not him."

"Stephen, you chose this."

"Can't we give it another try?" Stephen almost sounded like he was pleading.

"Are you willing to be open about it or do we have to sneak around?"

"Ryan, look, ya know how I feel about…"

"Oh, my God. Really? Until you get your shit together and know who you are – and aren't afraid of that or what people think – just leave me out of your mess."

Ryan turned to try and leave. Stephen put his weight on the door to keep the boy from opening.

"Please don't go," Stephen had barely whispered these words when he kissed Ryan tenderly on the lips.

For a moment, Ryan let this happen. He wanted it to happen. Suddenly he pulled away.

"Stop," Ryan was starting to cry.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do this. I can't be your dirty secret. I've done this before and I can't do it again. I'm sorry."

Again, Ryan tried to leave.

"Don't…" Stephen moved close again but was stopped this time.

"Give me one reason to stay."

The two stood in silence, staring for a moment. When Stephen was unable to provide an answer, Ryan turned and exited the room. The large man was about to follow him; instead he fell against the door. He lightly rapped his head against the metal and whispered:

"Because I love you."

* * *

This encounter between Stephen and Ryan would be their last for a while. They seemed to avoid each other for the rest of the week. The following Monday, Ryan was sent off on a two-and-a-half week tour overseas with a selection of other WWE Superstars. As the reigning Intercontinental Champ, he headlined the trip.

Stephen was not part of the selection. He was left in the United States, where he made the rounds on television programs and personal appearances. For most of this tour, he was paired up with Diva's Champion, Layla. Stephen found her to be rather pleasant company. Although her onscreen persona was often a bitch, she was actually pretty friendly in person. She was also just a bit too flirty for his taste. Stephen couldn't deny that she was a gorgeous woman; however, he tried to ignore her flirtatiousness for the most part.

The roster was finally reunited a few weeks later. RAW that night was a particularly good show. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Many were glad to be home and many were glad to be back together with their friends. Ryan was feeling refreshed. Although he worked the whole time, the tour was like a vacation to him. There was also a lot of hype going around the locker room regarding the upcoming Over the Limit Pay-Per-View.

After the show, Ryan returned to his hotel room briefly. His primary concern was to ditch the heavy belt that had been carrying around all day. He also took the opportunity to check his e-mail, Facebook, etc. Then he remembered his dinner plans. He rolled off of the bed and grabbed his hoodie that was slung over the chair. The transition from summer to fall was becoming more and more noticeable, especially in the evening. Zipping up the hoodie, Ryan slipped out the door where he noticed the unmistakable figure of the Celtic Warrior holding a box of pizza and a paper bag.

"Hey," Stephen greeted him.

"Hey," Ryan replied.

"How was the trip?" Stephen asked.

"Great. Thanks."

"I'd love ta hear about it. Would ya care to join me for some pizza and beverages?"

"Maybe later. I've actually got dinner plans."

"Ah, okay. Well, if ya feel like a drink later. I'm jus nex door." Stephen motioned to the room next to Ryan's.

"Cool. Well, I'd better get going. I'm already late."

Ryan darted off toward the main lobby of the hotel. Stephen fought to figure the best way to locate his room key without dropping his pizza or, worse, his booze.

* * *

Stephen sipped his drink and glanced at the clock. It was passed 2:00 am. Where was Ryan? Maybe he got held up in traffic on the way back to the hotel…or maybe he was too tired and came back to go to sleep an hour ago. Stephen glanced at the empty pizza box on the table. He couldn't believe he ate the whole thing himself. At least he'd saved some of the alcohol to share.

Suddenly there was a thud on the wall behind Stephen's head.

"What the fuck? Did somebody fall?" Stephen thought to himself.

Then he heard it again. And again. Then he heard the muffled sounds of moaning through the wall. There was no denying it. What Stephen heard was the unmistakable sound of fucking in the next room…Ryan's room…and Cody's room. Suddenly he felt sick to his stomach. He was also furious.

"He blew me off to fuck Cody? Right where I could hear it?" he thought to himself, clutching his glass tightly.

Stephen was livid. He wasn't going to simply sit around and listen to Cody nailing Ryan harder than Jesus to the cross. He stood up and charged from the room. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to deal with it yet. Briefly, he considered banging on the door and confronting the two offenders. Then he saw Layla. She was walking down the hall from the direction of the lobby. She must have been at the pool because she was dressed in a bikini and her hair was still wet.

"Hey, there," Stephen greeted her with a sly smile.

"Why, hello," Layla returned the flirtatious gesture, "What are you up to?"

"Well, I was just tinking it's kind of a shame we didn't get ta know each other better over the last few weeks."

"I agree," Layla giggled as she toweled her hair, "would you like to come in and get to know me better?"

"Sure would…"

Layla took Stephen's hand and lead him into the room on the other side of Ryan and Cody's. Once inside, she dropped the towel and immediately pressed her body up against Stephen's. The two began kissing rapidly. Stephen reached around and began to untie her bikini top strap as she fumbled with his belt. In the midst of these actions, the two stumbled back toward the bed.

Layla fell onto the bed and pulled Stephen down with her. Stephen moved from her lips and began to kiss down the side of her neck and she began to pull off his shirt. He continued to kiss until he reached her exposed breasts. His large hands fondled them as kissed all over and began to gently suck on her nipples. Layla moaned; this only encouraged him to begin nibbling them gently with his teeth. Her ecstatic sounds grew louder and more passionate.

Stephen continued to move down. With one hand he pulled off her bikini bottoms and, with very little hesitation, he began to work his tongue around her netherlips. She moaned louder. For a moment, he was going to gesture for her to be more quiet, but then he remembered he wanted them to hear…he wanted HIM to hear. He began to work his index finger inside of her, after a few moments he added another. He gently rocked his hand back and forth and moved his fingers around the inner walls. By this time she was more-or-less crying out in enjoyment.

Standing up, Stephen began to fumble for his wallet. When he found it, he opened it and pulled out a roll of condoms. He tore one off and threw the rest on the nightstand. Sliding his pants down to reveal his raging erection; he began to roll the condom on. Then he lowed himself slightly and began to enter her. She moaned loudly. He started with a gentle rocking but gradually increased pace.

"Harder! Fuck me harder!" Layla cried out.

"Get on yer knees." He instructed.

Layla rolled over onto her hands and knees and prepared for him to reenter. He did and began thrusting harder than ever. The headboard banged against the wall, rattling the lighting fixtures and painting over the bed. Layla screamed as he plowed into her like a wildman. Stephen didn't last much longer – the alcohol paired with the weeks of celibacy resulted in a somewhat shorter-than-usual bout for the Celtic Warrior. Layla fell forward onto the bed. Stephen fell with her, resting his head on her back. The two lay motionless for a moment with only the sound of their panting.

* * *

It was about 3:30-3:45 when Stephen got dressed and decided to head back to his room. He had almost forgotten to zip his pants and ended up doing so just as he was stepping out of the room. Looking up just in time, he found that he was about to run into Stephanie and Paul…and Ryan.

"Well, hello, there," Stephanie exclaimed backing up a few steps, fearing she might be headbutted by the unattentive man.

"Oh, hey, what's up?"

"Just got back from the bar down the street." Paul replied.

"All of ya?" Stephen asked as he felt his stomach churning a bit.

"Yeah, I was just going to come back earlier but Cody met a girl at the second bar we went to and I kinda got Sexiled." Ryan explained.

"Sexiled?" Stephen now felt his heart slipping into his throat.

"Yeah, you know, your roommate hooks up with someone and needs exclusive use of the room…so you get exiled for sexual reasons. Sexile. Don't tell me you don't use that term in Ireland."

"So…so, ya haven't been here atall since we spoke earlier?"

"No," Ryan responded. He could sense something was amiss, "Are you o…"

He was interrupted as the door from which Stephen emerged opened again.

"Hey, you left these on the night stand. You might want to hang onto them, Stud," Lalya winked as she tossed the stand of condoms to Stephen.

Stephen looked back to the trio in the hall but Ryan was already turned around and in hurrying back toward the lobby. Stephanie was quick to turn and follow.

Stephen could hear her mutter under her breath, "asshole…"

"Paul…I…I…"

"Don't even fucking bother," Paul was over all the bullshit. He pushed passed Stephen and made for his room down the hall.

* * *

Outside Stephanie caught up to Ryan who was leaning against a lamppost near the back parking lot. He wasn't crying or fuming. He was silent. Stunned.

"Ryan, honey…" Stephanie began but realized she didn't know what to say.

After a moment of thinking, she began again: "Ryan, I know that he meant…means a lot to you, but he is going to keep hurting you. Whether he means to or not. He doesn't know what the hell he wants. You can't expect him to give you what you want…Now, I'm not saying it's a never…but for now, you need to carry on with your life…without him."

After a moment of silence, Ryan finally spoke.

"I can't do this anymore. I've tried. Really. That time away from him was surprisingly enjoyable. I feel like that's the only way to get over it – to get away from him…Steph, I think I need some time away…away from him and the company. I hate to ask that of you, especially with your dad putting some much faith in me and giving me that damn title. I don't want to let him down but…"

"Ryan," Stephanie took his hands and looked into his eyes, "that doesn't matter. If that is what you need for your own piece of mind, for your own well being, then we'll make it happen."

"I need to go someplace where I can just be. Someplace where I don't have to worry, where I can do what I know I can do without any problems," he thought for a moment, "I got a call from my agent last week. There's an opening in the national tour for a show I've wanted to do forever. It's only a three-month gig until the show recasts and starts a new tour at the beginning of the year. I think that's enough time to just clear my head and relax."

"Alright. If you can just hold out one more week…until Over the Limit, we can stage a nasty bump, put you out with an injury or something. Like I said, Dad loves good TV. We can really get the crowd behind you and hype you up for a return around Royal Rumble. You can come back and be even bigger than ever."

Ryan just stared up at the sky. He heard her but was still finding himself distracted in thought.

"Look, we can discuss all the details tomorrow. For now, you need to just go get some sleep and forget about all of this," Stephanie rested her chin on Ryan's shoulder and then gave him a light kiss on the side of his head.

Again, Ryan was very glad to have a friend like Stephanie. She was understanding and compassionate. He was grateful for her ability to work with him on these issues. Yet, at the same time, he felt bad about putting her in the middle, where she had to play friend and boss.

Stephanie took his hand and lead him back inside. The two said good night and parted to go to their separate rooms. The night was fitful for both of them but they eventually drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20: I feel Wicked!

Ryan yawned and stretched as much as his seat would allow him. It had been a long bus ride, but he had become accustomed to such travels in his several weeks on the road with this show. Touring with a musical was vastly different than with the WWE. It had been a little over a month since he had left the world of wrestling. Zac Helmsley was put out of commission by Hunter's old nemesis, Randy Orton, allowing Ryan O'Hailin to pursue other ventures. Sometimes Ryan really missed RAW and his cohorts there, but he was very glad to be pursuing his dream of acting and in one of his favorite shows no less.

His head rested against the window of the bus. He rolled around to face the view outside. After a few moments, he spotted a sign that read "North Carolina Welcomes You!" Finally; that meant tonight's destination of Raleigh wasn't too far off. There wasn't a show tonight, just a walk through rehearsal to get accustomed to the new theatre and then the rest of the night off. Ryan thought about contacting an old friend who lived nearby but decided against it. It was probably better for him to spend his time bonding with his cast mates.

The walk through rehearsal went off without a hitch. Honestly, see one theatre, them all. It's just a matter of remembering to turn the correct direction when leaving the dressing room. After the rehearsal, Ryan and a few of his cast mates went out for dinner at a somewhat shady Chinese buffet. For $3.99 a person, they were willing to take the risk. Apparently that price also bought them the authenticity of American-born waitresses with clearly faked (or, at the very least, exaggerated) accents.

Following dinner, the group broke down to the four leading actors, which included Ryan, his leading lady Donna, Kendra, and Chris. Ryan had become somewhat close to these three over the course of a month. After all, they all shared similar interests and backgrounds. The foursome briefly considered barhopping but ended up choosing to raid the Walgreens on the corner for alcohol instead before heading back to the hotel.

* * *

"I just can't believe there are gay guys in profession wrestling," Donna declared in her tipsy state.

"I know, right?" Ryan replied, "With all the sweaty, muscly men in their underwear…it doesn't make sense. Next thing you know they'll be letting us in musical theatre!"

"LE GASP!" Kendra cried, feigning shock.

"Perhaps this is a bad time to come out to you all," Ryan chuckled.

"What?! My leading man is gay! THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED!" Donna burst out in an overdramatic tone.

"I'm here and queer! So, get out your character shoes and let's Fosse!"

The three of them chuckled. Kendra began searching her surroundings.

"Where the hell did those Chicken and Waffle chips go?"

"I don't know…" replied Ryan.

The three of them began frantically searching. Donna crawled under the covers and was gone from sight for a few moments.

"FOUND THEM" a muffled voice called out.

Donna emerged from under the comforter.

"I found the chips," she said, "they were in my bed."

"GIMME!" Kendra yelled, snatching the bag from Donna. She ate a handful and moaned, "God, these are the best Lay I've had in weeks!"

"LOL!" Ryan burst out.

Suddenly the sound of Chris barfing up his guts were heard from the bathroom, reminding the other three that their fourth had been indisposed for the last 10 minutes or so.

"Ya okay in there, buuudy?" Donna called to the bathroom softly.

"I think I'm dying," Chris replied, peeking from the door before returning to the bowl and chucking up more.

"Is that the $3.99 buffet or the $9.99 rum?" Kendra asked.

"Yes," was the response from the bathroom.

"I'm saying rum," Ryan wagered, "You know those Munchkins can't hold their liquor."

"Hey!" Chris retorted.

"You gonna be good to go tomorrow night," Donna teased.

"Uh, call in my understudy," Chris whined.

"Poor baby," Ryan pouted.

"Shut up," the sick one demanded, "or I'll make you call in your understudy too!"

"You ARE my understudy, genius!" Ryan snapped back.

"Ah, shit…" was all he could mutter before heaving once again.

* * *

The show was a major hit with the Raleigh audiences, as it was to be expected. Every night, the cast took their bows to raving ovations. Word of mouth got around and they were playing to sell out crowds each and every night. The cast also made appearances on local news programs and at community events. However, per usual, the days rolled by and, eventually, they were at the end of their North Carolina engagement and it was time to roll out to Nashville.

Intermission broke to cries of enthusiasm from the crowd. Ryan stood in the wings, applauding as Donna was lowered from the rafters. The tech crew frantically began resetting the stage for Act II.

"Great first act, everyone. Get some water, get some air. 15 till places for Act II," the stage manager announce to those in the wings.

"Thank you, fifteen," the cast and crew muttered collectively as they began to disperse.

Ryan walked back toward the dressing rooms with Donna per their usual return.

"I need some water, like damn," Donna declared as she fanned herself with her large-brimmed hat.

"Isn't that dangerous for you?" Ryan teased.

"Oh, shut up," she chuckled, bumping Ryan into the wall with her hips; "Well, I'd better go get changed. Time to make myself all sexy for our hot scene."

"Oh, yeeeaaah," Ryan gave his best impersonation of Duff Man.

"Extra lip gloss tonight!" she exclaimed opening her dressing room door.

"Great, we'll stick!" Ryan laughed, opening his.

"If we're lucky," Donna said with a raised eyebrow as she slowly shut the door.

Ryan sat down in front of his mirror and began to touch up his makeup. His big dance number in the first act always had him sweating torrents. "If the superstars in the WWE thought matches were grueling, they should try singing and dancing a big number with 40+ people onstage and ridiculously hot lights everywhere!" Ryan thought to himself. He was restyling his hair when he noticed the green splotch of makeup on his left hand. Donna's makeup must have rubbed off a little when she grabbed his hand – it had happened a dozen times before on sweaty nights. He went over to the little sink in the corner and washed his hands. He was grabbing his emerald green uniform embroidered in gold for Act II when he heard his phone buzz on the makeup counter. Glancing at the phone, he saw that the text message was from his ex, Jeff. Ryan picked up the phone and read the text.

"Word on the street is u r in town."

Ryan typed a quick reply before starting to change his outfit: "Yeah…I have been for like 2 weeks. Where have you been?"

"Working," the phone buzzed back.

"Fair enough."

"r u guys at the theatre on fayettville?"

"Yes…" Ryan began to type a longer reply but then he heard the stage manager calling places from the hallway. He hit send and dropped the phone back on the counter before grabbing his jacket and heading back to the stage.

* * *

Act II was received just as well as the first. Hearing the cheers at the finale was like no other feeling. Ryan waited in the wings for his cue to take his bow. After watching Chris take his bow, Ryan ran onto the stage. Ropes around his wrists and the scraps from the tattered version of his uniform fluttered behind him. The crowd was on its feet. This was all Ryan had ever wanted and it was sad to think that in just about six weeks, he would have to leave it all to return to the WWE. A place that once made him happy had become a place of dread.

Stepping over to the side of the stage, he watched as Kendra and Donna made their entrance and bowed together. The crowd was wilder than ever. When the curtain fell following the company bow, everyone on stage cheered the success of another great run. The stage manager stepped center stage to make her post-show announcement and everyone went quiet to give her their attention.

"The show was fantastic. Other than a minor lighting problem, it was a pretty flawless show. Now, everyone please go to the dressing rooms and neatly hang up all costumes. Also, remember to gather up all personal belongings tonight. Otherwise they get thrown in a box and loaded onto the production truck."

The actors dispersed and went to their dressing rooms to pack up. Ryan packed up his belongings rather quickly. After many years in the theatre, it becomes somewhat of a well-rehearsed process. He threw the last of his personal effects into his bag and grabbed his coat. After putting it on, he was about to head out the door when he remembered his phone. As he grabbed it he noticed a missed text.

"meet the parking garage south of theatre at 11:30."

Ryan glanced up at the clock. 11:34. Fuck! He grabbed his bag and hurried out the door. He wasn't even sure why he was rushing. He hadn't seen this guy in months – almost a year maybe? The early November air was chilly. Ryan hugged his wool pea coat close to himself. The wind blew his hair in front of his face; he had to shake his head a bit to regain his vision. After growing his growing his hair out for his WWE ego, he wasn't quite used to having bangs again yet.

Ryan reached the spot indicated in the text message. At first it appeared that the sender had already gone. Then Ryan heard the clicking of a lighter. He rounded the nearby cement column and caught glimpse of familiar long, black hair with purple and green highlights. The man rested against the column with one foot up, pressed against the column. He noticed the boy's presence and took a long drag of his cigarette, leaning his head back. He exhaled and rolled his head to finally face Ryan.

"Ryan O'Hailin," the gruff voice let out with a cocky smile.

"Jeff Hardy," the boy returned with a smirk of his own.

"It's been awhile…you look great," Jeff smiled genuinely and let down the tough guy exterior.

"You too."

Jeff straightened up and opened his posture towards Ryan.

"Well, aren't ya at least gonna hug me?" the man queried.

Ryan glanced at the burning cigarette in Jeff's hand.

"Oh, yeah, you hate these things. I forgot," he flicked the cigarette away and opened his arms expectantly.

Ryan obliged and allowed himself to be engulfed in Jeff's arms. His scent memory ran wild and he recognized the almost forgotten blend of cigarette smoke, hair product, and cologne. It was warm and welcoming, if not safe.

"Ryan O'Hailin…the big time Broadway star…"

"Tour star."

"Ah, I stand corrected. So, lemme guess, you're Elphaba?"

"No," Ryan sighed, "I wanted the role badly but my legs were too long."

The two chuckled a bit and fell into silence in that awkward people do when they haven't seen each other in a while and are searching for the right things to say.

"So," Jeff broke in, "How many WWE fans have come to show to hound you?"

"Not that many, actually. That's the beauty of using a stage name. Many in the wrestling world only know me as Zac Helmsley."

"I guess that's true. I can't take a shit in a public restroom without getting recognized," Jeff lamented.

"It's the hair."

"I guess…so, it's like balls cold out here. You want to go back and chill out in my hotel room or something?"

"Hotel room? Don't you just live like 20-30 minutes from here?"

"Yeah, but I thought I'd come visit my old pal before you roll out of town."

"Old pal," Ryan laughed, "That's one way to put it."

"Would you prefer butt bud?"

"Old pal will do just fine!" Ryan assured.

"Well, pal, my car is over here, let's get in there before I freeze my junk off."

"You know, this wouldn't be in issue if you'd buy a god damned coat," Ryan scolded in a joking tone.

"Nah, it's not my style."

Ryan started to realize how much he'd missed Jeff's laidback demeanor. The two walked to the nearby car. They climbed in and soon drove out of sight.

Once back in Jeff's room, the two caught up with each other on life since they had parted months earlier. Jeff was pretty truthful and diverged all info. Ryan was not so open and skirted around the details of his recent romantic life.

"So, those rumors about you and that pasty Irish motherfucker…"

"Ah, I knew that would get brought up."

"Confirm, deny, or no comment?"

"We had a brief little fling. It wasn't much of anything. I don't think it could have worked in the long run."

"Very true."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're doomed to a life of unfulfilling relationships because no man will ever compare to me."

"Well, aren't you sure of yourself?"

"Very much so," Jeff flashed his cheesiest smile just to make Ryan laugh.

After a few more minutes of chatting, Jeff suggested that they rent a movie on the hotel Pay-Per-View. Ryan agreed and after some debate, the two decided on watching _Easy A_ – a compromise between Jeff's taste in comedies and Ryan's love of chick flicks. A little ways into the movie, Jeff rested his arm across the headboard of the bed, hovering a little over Ryan's shoulders. After a few minutes, Ryan instinctively rested his head on Jeff's tattooed shoulder and, not long after, Jeff moved his arm down and draped it around Ryan. They stayed like this throughout the movie. It was a nice, cozy way to relax and enjoy each other's company.

"You know, I've missed you," Jeff muttered in a gravelly whisper.

"I've missed you too," Ryan whispered back.

The two rolled their heads together so that their foreheads were pressing against one another. They stared into each others eyes for a moment before they kissed. It was soft yet passionate like the smoldering embers of a fire not yet cold. They kissed again, this time longer. The kissing became more frequent and lengthier with each instant. Finally the two locked into a tumultuous kiss. Jeff bit down on Ryan's lower lip as the boy climbed over and straddled his lap.

It was a scuffle of hands and clothing until the two were entirely naked. They rolled around on the bed wildly, kissing each other all over. Ryan kept his legs locked around Jeff. Their hands and mouths explored each other, remembering. When the two had rolled back around so Jeff was on the bottom, Ryan slid down the lean, hairy torso, following the trail of hair where it was the darkest until he reached the treasure that waited. Ryan began to lick the slender shaft; with each lick he got closer and closer, to the engorged head. He taunted and tortured the man who lay gasping, waiting to be engulfed. Finally, Ryan took the large head in his mouth and began to suck gently. He carefully manipulated his tongue around the the tip and slit.

"Yeah, just like that, babe," Jeff sighed.

Ryan began to work his way down lower and lower, letting the tip press into the back of his throat.

"God, I've missed that mouth…"

The boy continued to do his work without a word; he simply looked up and locked eyes with the one he was servicing. He knew this drove Jeff crazy.

"You wanna ride it?" Jeff asked, looking down and smirking.

"Yeah," Ryan replied raising up.

"Come ride me, baby," Jeff said as he scooted up the bed a bit and propping his head on the pillows.

Jeff reached over to his toiletry bag, which sat on the nightstand and dug through it. He handed the bottle of lube to Ryan, as he busied himself with opening and applying his condom. The bottom lubed up his hole before rubbing the slippery liquid up and down his partner's sheathed sword. After a few short moments of prep, Ryan lowered himself down. It had been awhile since he'd been "active," so there was a slight stinging at first as he stretched over the head. Overall, he found it relatively easy. Jeff wasn't as big as Stephen, but Ryan knew from experience that Jeff certainly knew how to put what he had to work.

Ryan began to slowly grind into Jeff's pelvis. As time wore on, he began to become more and more mobile until he bounced up and down on it. Jeff grabbed the boy's buttocks and held him up a bit, and then he began to thrust upward. It started slow with short, sudden bursts. The frequency built and built until Jeff was drilling that hole like there was no tomorrow. Ryan moaned loudly. His hands gripped at the hairy chest below him, he drug his nails slowly down the torso, listening carefully to the growling sounds coming from deep within Jeff's throat and chest.

"Scratch me harder," Jeff ordered.

Ryan complied and began to claw into the man's pecks and arms. He had almost forgotten how freaky Jeff could be. As Ryan intensified the scratching, Jeff plowed harder and harder. The sweat was dripping, breath was heaving, and skin was slapping.

"Oh, God. Jeff, I'm gonna…"

At this, Jeff only went harder. He didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence, he only needed to deliver. The two's bodies synced in the throws of passion, almost like a sense of muscle memory. Jeff's deep groans were a start contrast to Ryan's more gasping moans as the two climaxed. Ryan clenched around Jeff as the man convulsed a time or two to signal completion.

Ryan rolled off of Jeff and lay beside him. Jeff chuckled a bit. This caused Ryan to look over with an inquisitive glare.

"That was awesome," Jeff sighed, "I'd almost forgotten how fuckin' good anal can be. It's good to get away from the pussy from time to time."

"I know exactly what you mean," Ryan laughed with a sarcastic roll of the eyes.

"Jeez, that fuckin' wore me out."

Jeff rolled out of bed and made his way over to the bathroom area, where he removed the condom and wiped himself clean with his towel before tossing it to Ryan.

"Christ, you could have at least gotten me a clean towel," Ryan exclaimed catching the cum-soaked linen just before it hit him in the face.

"You know you like it," Jeff laughed, crawling back into bed.

He cuddled up with Ryan who finished cleaning off and tossed the towel on the floor beside the bed. Ryan kissed Jeff one last time before rolling over onto his side. Jeff wrapped his arm around the boy and spooned him tightly. He was soon asleep as indicated by his light snoring in Ryan's ear.

Try as he might, Ryan could not sleep…and it wasn't even the snoring keeping him awake. The restlessness came from inside. It was like a hollow, aching feeling. What was this feeling? Guilt? Regret? He somehow felt like he had done something wrong. The hours passed as the boy lay there reflecting. It just didn't feel right lying there. He decided it was time to go. This was easier said than done, Jeff had him in a strong grip. Ryan didn't want to wake him up, so he had to gently maneuver his way down and out of the man's arms.

Ryan slipped out of bed and dressed quietly. He gathered his things and made his way quietly out of the hotel room. He kind of felt bad for leaving Jeff like that, but he didn't know what else to do. Talking to Jeff would have done no good – he couldn't explain himself. He didn't know what was wrong. Once outside, he walked swiftly down the street to his own hotel. The air in the early morning was chillier than ever. He hugged his coat tight and walked quicker.

In his room, Ryan stripped quickly and climbed into bed. He glanced at his phone. He picked it up and began to compose a text:

"Hey, I just want you to know that I really miss you. I hope you're doing well…maybe we can talk sometime soon. It would be nice to hear your voice…"

Ryan stopped typing and lay quiet for a moment. Then he hit the clear button, erasing the text. He placed the phone on the nightstand and rolled over. Sleep followed soon.

The next night, the show opened in Memphis. Ryan had almost entirely forgotten about the night before until a pivotal point in Act II.

"What is it?" Ryan stage whispered to Donna as she looked away.

She turned back to face him. Their eyes locked in fiery passion.

"It's just…" she muttered, "for the first time, I feel WICKED!"

She lunged at him and the two embraced in a steamy stage kiss. And in the back of his mind, Ryan finally understood full the significance of that line.


End file.
